Dream of the King
by Nate Grey
Summary: Lelouch won. The problem is that his father's final curse keeps erasing his memory. But being Emperor and C.C.'s husband isn't so bad. Their sassy little girl with the killer Geass will take some getting used to, though. Maybe some new moms would help?
1. Empress Cecelia vi Britannia

* * *

Notes: Think of this as a prequel to "Dream of the King." Or the prologue. Or the first chapter, whichever makes you happiest. I can't decide if I meant this to be mysterious or funny, but either way, I feel it totally throws off the mood of the next chapter. Yet I can't bring myself to change it, I like it too much.

Series Summary: Lelouch is Emperor. C.C., his wife and mother of his child. It's a good life. But one Lelouch has no memory of.

Chapter Summary: Lelouch never really learned how to handle C.C. So getting her pregnant might not have been one of his better ideas...

**Dream of the King**

**A Code Geass Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 1: Empress Cecelia vi Britannia**

* * *

_"The first impression of the Empress is unfailingly that she is far older than she appears, despite all evidence to the contrary. Her skin, her hair, her very breath indicates youth. But her eyes are older than all the stars in the heavens."_

* * *

"We shall make a new contract," C.C. had said to him that fateful day when Lelouch first grasped the world in his hands. "You will swear to be my lord and husband for as long as you live. And I will swear to be by your side in all things."

Lelouch had been suspicious of the wording, but he was not immortal, and something about C.C. being with him, even after he was dead and gone, was strangely comforting. After years of commanding the Black Knights together, he was not entirely convinced that he loved, or was in love with, C.C. Certainly there were other girls he thought of in that capacity, but C.C. had always been more of a moody accomplice. Still, when she was on top of her game, which was often, there was no one he'd rather have at his side in the heat of battle, no matter how infuriating she could be at any other time.

He could learn to love such a woman, and failing that, at least he'd never be bored.

So, like a fool, he had agreed to the new contract (the old one, after heavy revision, had finally been cancelled outright when C.C. admitted, reluctantly, that she was fond of him, and that he'd saved her enough times to earn the right to keep his Geass).

The Sex had come after that.

Oddly enough, though Lelouch had experienced sex before, with a girl, and with C.C., it was not at all like The Sex. Clearly, whatever C.C. had learned in her centuries of life, she did not share in every sexual encounter. If she had, Lelouch had no doubt that his brain would've exploded the very second time.

The Sex was magnificent. The Sex was exhausting. The Sex left him unconscious for close to three days, and when he woke up, the mere implication that he might experience The Sex at any point in the immediate future left him scared senseless.

C.C. had agreed, after many minutes of him begging, never to unleash The Sex on him again, except for holidays, special occasions, and anytime they were invited to meet with people that neither of them cared for, just so she could call and truthfully say that Lelouch was very much indisposed.

Other than the looming threat of The Sex, being married to C.C. was not so different. Lelouch still largely came and went as he pleased, and C.C. did the same. Although more often than not, she was waiting when he came home, and sometimes, but not too often, they just had sex, which he'd rapidly developed a newfound appreciation for, as he could still remember his own name afterwards (most of the time).

It was rather inevitable then, considering the potency of The Sex, that C.C. wound up pregnant.

Lelouch was stunned, of course. He had always assumed that C.C. had been tortured so much in so many different ways that she was either unable or unwilling to reproduce.

"I can reproduce if I want," she had told him smugly, and clearly she did want.

He had just nodded, meekly (he was very much afraid that not even pregnancy would prevent C.C. from unleashing The Sex, and he was right; it was only a craving for peanut butter and sardine sandwiches that spared him), and asked if they could name the child for his mother, assuming it was a girl.

"Yes, and it will be," C.C. had said. "Now get me my sandwich."

So, under the terms of their contract, their first and only child was born Marianne vi Britannia II, or Mari for short.

What had not been in the contract was that Mari would be born with her own Geass active.

Fate smiled on them that day, as the doctor was the first to look Mari in her eyes.

He died instantly.

Lelouch just barely managed to catch his daughter in time, and even then, he didn't dare to look at her. In that moment, he was struck by the cruelty of the idea that he might never be able to look into his little girl's eyes without fear of death.

"Lelouch," C.C. murmured, exhausted but still commanding. "Bring her to me. I must seal her Geass for the time being. Afterwards, make yourself useful and get rid of that body."

Whatever C.C. did, it worked, because the next time Lelouch looked at Mari, she looked back, squealed, and tried to chew on his nose. It was love at first sight for them both. Lelouch was enraptured with his tiny, cuddlier version of C.C., and took great delight in smothering her with affection just so C.C. would scowl at him and say he was being disgusting. But she was strangely insistent about breastfeeding (he assumed it somehow maintained the seal on Mari's Geass), and those were the only times that Lelouch was allowed to hold them both at once.

Mari was a naturally inquisitive baby, but she was first and foremost attached to her parents like a rather adorable leech. She could usually be found playing in Lelouch's lap, or chewing on the ends of C.C.'s long hair, less out of hunger and more because she thought it was what long hair was intended for. Even more amazing was the fact that C.C. allowed it, and somehow still managed to attend meetings with nobles while at the same time calmly brushing baby drool out of her hair as if it were perfectly normal.

Lelouch spent every moment he possibly could with Mari, sometimes to the detriment of his duties. C.C. never complained about this, though, and instead quickly became one of the more active Empresses in the history of Britannia, and one of the rare few that was actually interchangeable with her husband. No one ever felt dishonored when she showed up in Lelouch's place, and in fact, most people preferred to deal with her, as Lelouch might either insist on bringing Mari to the meeting, or duck out early so he could be with her.

"You're determined to spoil her, aren't you?" C.C. asked one day as she watched Lelouch sit on their bed and dangle Mari upside down while she shrieked happily.

"Are you jealous?" Lelouch countered with a smirk.

"Of course not," she replied at once... and managed to look perfectly disinterested as she sat down behind him and leaned against his back.

Chuckling, Lelouch turned his head and kissed her hair tenderly. "You shouldn't be. Mari is my princess, but you are my queen."

"Careful, or I'll be tempted to remind you of that," she warned him.

He got the hidden message and instantly backed off. "With Mari in the room, though?"

"She'll have to learn eventually that she belongs to us, but that you are mine." C.C. plucked Mari out of his arms and held her close. "Now leave. It's Mommy time."

Lelouch very nearly laughed, as C.C. said that, as she did most things, far too seriously. "No. I want to see what it is you do with her when you kick me out. You shouldn't be afraid of having me watch. I let you watch Daddy time."

"I don't have a choice, it never ends." She tried scowling at him. "The moment we're alone, you're going to get The Sex."

He winced, but remained strong. "Fine, but you aren't going to do it right now."

Eventually, C.C. gave up, and the deep, dark secrets of Mommy time were revealed.

Lelouch was sorely disappointed.

Either Mommy time was always so tame, or C.C. simply wasn't doing what she normally did. All she did was play with Mari, but in a way that was both educational and oddly affectionate. Whenever Mari got something right, C.C. would smile at her, or hug her, or even kiss her.

"That's it?" Lelouch asked when they were done. "Why wouldn't you let me see that before? That was great!"

"That's exactly why," C.C. answered, glowering at him. "You'd enjoy it far too much."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you actually ashamed to let me see you be affectionate with our little girl?"

"No," C.C. answered stubbornly.

"I think it makes you look even more beautiful. Twice as much, in fact."

She looked at him in a way that was entirely familiar. "For someone so afraid of The Sex, you do a horrible job of avoiding it."

"It's unavoidable. If I didn't compliment you occasionally, you'd never let me sleep."

"Well, you aren't going to sleep at all tonight, now."

He sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Just don't make me forget what year it is this time. Last time, I almost buried you in the gardens because I thought you were supposed to be dead."

She glared at him. "You didn't even bother to check my forehead for a gunshot wound first."

"I thought I was in bed with a dead body! Can you blame me?"

"Yes, and I'll continue to until you apologize."

"Fine," Lelouch responded. "I'm sorry you looked like you were dead."

C.C.'s eyes narrowed. "Lelouch," she said sweetly, "when you wake up in a week, and your pelvis is shattered beyond all recognition, just try to recall that you deserved it."

He had nothing to say to that, although Mari summed up his feelings quite nicely by cooing and burying her head in C.C.'s chest.

**End of Part 1.**

* * *

Endnotes:

I still have no idea what C.C.'s real name is, so I decided to come up with one strictly for public use. I wanted it to have two C's, obviously, and Cecelia was the best one I could come up with. It's unfortunately very similar to Cecile, so sorry if that threw anyone. But I would hope the sheer unlikelihood of Lelouch and Cecile becoming a couple would warrant a glance, at least to see if the author was actually serious... And yes, I know that technically C.C. should not take on "vi Britannia," but let's just assume that was also in the new contract. Somehow I just think Lelouch would want his first wife and child (or perhaps just C.C. and their child) to be distinguished from any other set.

I purposely left out... well, pretty much everyone other than Lelouch, C.C., and Mari. I wanted to focus entirely on them this chapter. Which just means more surprises when the others show up next chapter.

**Warning**: The Sex may cause short-term memory loss, sore throat, broken hips, blindness, inebriation, bad breath, weak knees, nonstop drooling, continuous nosebleeds, an inexplicable fondness for the color green, and a loss of anything even remotely resembling manhood. Use sparingly, or as directed by wife.


	2. Marianne vi Britannia II

Notes: I'm watching the dub on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, so I haven't seen all of the episodes, and most of what follows could probably never happen in canon. But that's why it's fanfic.

**Dream of the King**

**A Code Geass Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 2: Marianne vi Britannia II**

* * *

_"It is said that the Crown Princess holds a sleeping power within her, so magnificent and terrible that it could slay an empire single-handedly. To gaze upon her with even a sliver of malice is to beg for death. But she cannot or will not cause suffering: her victims die in an instant, and so she is said to be merciful."_

* * *

"Please forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty, but your war council has gathered, and they're waiting for you."

The messenger paused, perhaps sensing or seeing that the man was not listening.

"Your Majesty?"

The man in the bed shifted, then rolled over, revealing a head of black, shaggy hair streaked with gray. He threw a bleary glare at the messenger, who quickly backed up, despite already being several feet away.

"Who are you?" the man finally asked, blinking slowly.

"A mere messenger, Sire. I could come back later..."

But the man was already sitting up and rubbing his eyes in a half-hearted attempt to stay awake. "Yes. Later. But first, who am I?"

The messenger paused, uncertain if this was just a very complicated joke. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty?"

"Who am I, and why are you waking me up so early?" the man demanded, glaring a bit with his exposed right eye.

"Ah, you are Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Britannian Empire. As for why I am waking-"

"I see," Lelouch said calmly, blinking again. "Come back later."

"A matter of minutes, then, Your Majesty?"

"Try hours. Tomorrow might be better, in fact."

The messenger paled. "The war council, then?"

"Same for them. Now go."

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," the messenger agreed, backing out of the room.

The moment the messenger was gone, Lelouch closed his eyes and groaned. "I'm dreaming," he muttered, rubbing at his eyes again. Then he froze, new horror rising in his brain.

Only one arm seemed to be responding to his command. Fearing the worst, he looked down, and found the reason for that.

He only HAD one arm.

Well, that explained it.

Where his right arm had once been, there was now only scarred flesh that was thankfully smooth to the touch. So this was nothing new, at least. Not really, anyway, but it was certainly new to him.

"I really need to wake up now," Lelouch decided, raising his remaining hand to give himself a good pinch.

Except that before he could, there was a feminine groan from beside him, and then something warm, soft, and sweet-smelling rolled against his side. Lelouch was somehow not at all surprised to see C.C. staring up at him, annoyance written all over her face (and it was quite hard to focus on her face, what with her being naked under the sheet).

"I thought we agreed when we got married that you would never wake me up with your brooding," she complained.

He arched an eyebrow at that, but thought it best not to speak. This was C.C., after all. Surely she would soon say something that was both infuriating yet informative.

"Are you just going to sit there looking at me like an idiot? If I wanted that, I could've married Mao."

"I doubt it. You would've been bored, since he'd only want you to sit there and look pretty," Lelouch replied with a smirk.

"Why don't you ever want me to sit and look pretty?" she asked, half accusing, half amused.

"Because then we'd both be bored, and anyway, you'd look pretty even if you were covered in mucus. If that was all I wanted, I could've married any of the girls from Ashford."

"And what did you want from this marriage, oh husband of mine?"

"Challenging conversation, I suppose," he answered after some thought. "And now I don't take it personally when you insult me, since I'll always know that you said yes."

C.C. rolled her eyes. "Well, you were wealthy and powerful. I'd have said yes even if I hated you."

"But you wouldn't sleep in the same bed as me."

"True. But you are getting better. About not waking me. Or you were, at least." She frowned, peering at him closely. "You're taking the memory loss quite well today."

"Am I?" he asked mildly. He was less surprised by the fact that she knew, and more by the idea that this was apparently a frequent occurrence.

"I should say so. The last time, you shot me."

His eyes widened.

"Oh, stop it. I was fine within an hour. You were never that good with moving targets."

"I'm sorry," he said, and found that he really meant it.

"It's fine." She sat up and kissed his cheek, without any noticeable hesitation, he observed with a strange sense of pleasure. "One of us really should address the war council. I think it's my turn, anyway." She got out of bed and disappeared inside of a walk-in closet on the other side of the room.

"Won't that be a problem?" Lelouch asked.

"Why would it?" C.C. countered, her voice taking on a strange echo. "I almost never insult them to their faces anymore."

"They know who you are?"

She emerged a moment later, and Lelouch nearly fell out of the bed in shock. If he had not seen her go into the closet a minute before, he would not have recognized the queen that had come out. That she had undergone such a startling change in just a matter of seconds was nothing short of a small miracle. Most striking of all was her hair, which was piled on top of her head in a neatly constricted bun.

"Are you trying to be funny?" she demanded, noticing him gawking at her. "You must have seen me like this hundreds of times. Surely you remember?"

"You just look so different," he murmured, shaking his head. "Like a true queen."

"That is the effect I was going for. And it's Empress Cecelia in public. But I don't think I should leave you alone, if you can't recall that much." C.C. went to the door and pulled it open. "Mari! Come and sit with Daddy while Mommy goes to a meeting!"

The words were barely out of her mouth when a green blur shot through her legs and leaped into Lelouch's lap, latching onto his chest with an adoring cry of "Daddy!"

Lelouch stared down at the child, which could only be their child, and hesitantly ran his hand through her long, green hair. "Good morning, Marianne," he said, the words oddly familiar in his mouth. That she had been given his mother's name only confirmed her identity, although Lelouch had no idea how he knew either.

"Morning, Daddy!" she sang, raising her head to give him an enthusiastic peck on the lips, her golden eyes shining with happiness. "Wanna color with me?" She thrust a coloring book and a fistful of crayons in his face, not waiting for an answer.

"Sounds like a good idea." He watched as the girl (more like an underage clone of C.C., he told himself, except that she was smiling) made herself more comfortable in his lap and flipped through the book until she came to a large cactus. A glance at the door told Lelouch that C.C. had already slipped out without him noticing. "Mommy goes to a lot of meetings?" he asked.

"Especially when you're busy or sick," Mari replied. She paused, staring up at him with concern. "Are you sick again, Daddy? Mommy says it happens sometimes."

"Just a little," he admitted, smoothing out her hair to reassure her. "I forgot some things. Can you help me remember?"

She nodded eagerly. "Sure!"

"I have a sister. Do you know where she is?"

"You mean Auntie N? She lives in Japan. But she sends me really pretty dresses on my birthday!"

Lelouch blinked. "Japan? Not Area 11?"

"Area 11? What's that?" Mari asked, frowning. "Auntie N lives in Japan. All the packages she sends me say so, and that's where I send all my letters when I want to talk to her." The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper. "See? Mommy wrote the address down for me."

Mari was half right: the address was to the Britannian Embassy in the Citizens' Union of Japan, of which Nunnally was apparently Viceroy.

"I see. Do you know a man named Suzaku?" Lelouch asked warily.

"Uncle Susie? He lives with Auntie N. I think they're going to get married like you and Mommy, but he says I'm wrong."

"Really," Lelouch murmured, uncertain what to make of that. If only one person ever gained his approval to marry his sister, it would've been Suzaku. On the other hand, it would make things so much more difficult between them. There was a strong possibility that Nunnally could not bear children without great risk, and as good a man as Suzaku was, he was only human. Perhaps that was why Suzaku wasn't interested in marriage: it wouldn't have been fair to him or Nunnally.

All things considered, Lelouch's life could've turned out far worse. He was curious about his old friends from school, as well as Kallen and the other Black Knights, but there would be time for that later. Of course, there was no guarantee that Kallen and the others existed, but C.C. had as good as confirmed the existence of everyone from the academy.

Well, assuming it was still Ashford, and not something completely different, like Geass Academy.

Growing wary again, Lelouch looked down at Mari, who was focusing on coloring her cactus. "Do you know anything about Geass?"

"Which one?" Mari asked absently, not looking up.

He bit his lip. "Yours?"

The girl slowly raised her head, staring at him oddly. "Mommy made me promise to only use it in emergencies. You don't remember?"

"No. Should I?"

"Yes," Mari said firmly, looking more worried than ever. "Daddy, maybe you should lie down for a little while?" She lightly brushed her little fingers against his chin, and Lelouch dipped his head to softly kiss her palm, more out of reflex than anything else. He noted the way Mari seemed pleased with his reaction, or more precisely, relieved. He knew at once that she'd been testing his memory, and while this was no doubt something they did frequently, Lelouch did not consider this a passing grade: his body had remembered, but his mind had not.

Lelouch wasn't tired, but C.C. had told Mari to watch him, so surely he could trust his daughter's judgment, and he didn't want to worry either of them if he could avoid it. "I suppose lying down for a while wouldn't hurt."

"I'll take a nap with you," Mari offered, putting her book and crayons to the side. She crawled onto his chest and tucked her head under his chin, falling asleep at once.

For several moments, Lelouch merely held his daughter and gently rubbed her back, trying to figure out what he should do next. Everything around him felt familiar, to some degree, especially Mari. But he could not summon any recent memories to go along with those feelings. He could not recall Mari's birth, marrying C.C., or even becoming Emperor, though each had obviously happened. Further complicating Lelouch's current problem was the nagging worry that Nunnally wasn't near him. His gaze kept traveling back to the crumpled paper with Nunnally's address on it, and more specifically, the phone number that had been written at the bottom.

The phone on the bedside table was in his hand before he even realized it.

He had no idea what he was going to say, even as he dialed, but then realized it wouldn't matter. This was Nunnally; she'd be delighted just to hear his voice, and vice versa.

The person that picked up on the other end was not Nunnally, but the voice was familiar enough.

"Britannian Embassy, Office of the Viceroy. How may I direct your call?"

Lelouch blinked. "Suzaku?"

What followed was what Lelouch was forced to consider a rude silence, and then Nunnally took the phone.

"Good morning, Lelouch," she said warmly. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm not really sure," he admitted. "I think I've lost my memory a little."

"Again? Oh, dear. That's the third time this month. C.C. said there would be consequences, but still..."

"I haven't forgotten everything," Lelouch added a little defensively. "I remembered you and Suzaku, of course."

"You always do, so that's no surprise. So let's see how much you really remember. How many wives do you have?"

Lelouch nearly dropped the phone, it was such a stupid question. As if C.C. would ever share anything. He vividly remembered nearly losing an eye just trying to take a slice of pizza from her. "Are you kidding? One."

"Two," Nunnally corrected, a bit smugly.

"What? C.C. never said-"

"How many children?"

"One!" Lelouch snapped.

"No, two!"

"Why are you mad at me?" he demanded.

"You forgot your second wife and your son!"

"It's not like I did it on purpose!"

"Well, it isn't fair to Miss Sayoko and Shinji! You keep forgetting them!"

This time, Lelouch did drop the phone, waking Mari up in the process.

"Daddy? What are you doing?" she murmured, blinking sleepily.

Lelouch made a vague gesture towards the phone.

"Lelouch? Lelouch! Are you okay?" Nunnally was asking repeatedly.

Mari picked up the phone. "He just had a little shock, Auntie N. You must have said something he didn't expect."

"I told him about your brother."

"Oh. We'll call back once Daddy's feeling better. Give Uncle Susie a kiss for me, okay?" Mari hung up the phone and turned to Lelouch, staring at him worriedly. "You really don't remember Shin-chan or Mama Sayo?"

Lelouch shook his head mutely. Of course, he knew who Sayoko was, but saying he didn't was easier and faster than admitting he didn't recall marrying and impregnating her.

"Maybe you'll remember if you see them. Come on!" She hopped out of the bed and tugged on his arm to get him moving. "Let's go!"

* * *

"That's it, Shin-chan! You can do it!" Sayoko cooed to her son. "Walk to Kallen!"

Burbling excitedly, Shinji tottered unsteadily towards the redhead, waving his pudgy arms to stay upright. For her part, Kallen stayed still, wondering if this were some sort of cruel joke. She had never been good with kids, so of course the First Prince had quickly taken a liking to her and her alone, for no reason that anyone could explain. It truly bothered her, the way Shinji seemed to prefer her even over his own mother. But Sayoko assured her that Shinji would grow out of his "crush" as he matured, or at least he'd become a bit more subtle about it.

Shinji was doing fairly well, until a few feet from Kallen, he tilted sharply to the left, lost his footing, and fell forward.

Kallen moved without thought, catching the toddler before he could hit the floor. She couldn't help it, really: she was currently Lelouch's only Knight (Suzaku retained his rank, but considered himself in service only to Nunnally and Japan), and it was hard to turn off the battle-sharpened instincts that had kept her alive so far.

Shijni gazed up at her with wide, startled, violet eyes, so much like Lelouch's that Kallen's heart skipped a beat. She remembered herself an instant later. "Careful, Prince," Kallen murmured, steadying him gently.

In response, Shinji balled his little fists into her pants leg, hopping in place and drooling a little.

That was how Lelouch found them when Mari dragged him into the courtyard a few seconds later. He came to a complete stop at finding Kallen holding his son, and a million thoughts ran through his head. The most prominent, however, was that he was amazed at having taken Sayoko for a second wife, and not Kallen instead.

"Oh, Lelouch, you're awake!" Sayoko gasped from where she was sitting. She started to rise, but he quickly strode over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"That isn't necessary, Sayoko," he assured her.

She stared at him uncertainly. "But you're the Emperor..."

"And you've served me enough already, believe me. I don't expect you to stand just because I walk in."

"Well, alright," Sayoko said slowly, relaxing a bit. "If you're sure."

"I am," he replied firmly, sitting beside her. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Kallen, who was still kneeling and holding Shinji, although now she was staring right at Lelouch. "Kallen. May I hold my son?"

Kallen blinked and nodded. "Of course, Lulu."

The old nickname coming from her made him pause, but he shook it off as she carefully handed the toddler to him.

Shinji began to fuss as he left Kallen's arms, but settled down immediately upon spotting Lelouch's face. He didn't seem content, just momentarily silent.

Lelouch merely stared at the boy for several minutes. Shinji continued to stare right back at him with a rather curious expression on his face.

"Is he always so quiet?" Lelouch finally asked.

"Only with you," Sayoko answered. "I think your eyes fascinate him. No one else has eyes quite like you, Lelouch."

Mari, who had been surprisingly silent up until then, decided to join the conversation. "Daddy's got pretty eyes!"

Lelouch sighed as Kallen smothered a laugh behind her hand. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"Let me hold Shin-chan now!" Mari whined, tugging on his leg.

Lelouch glanced at Sayoko, who nodded, before surrendering his son to his daughter.

Mari immediately kissed Shinji on the nose, causing him to start bawling loudly. She scowled and gave him to Kallen, who bounced Shinji gently in her arms until he settled down again.

"He'll never be a good prince if he can't get used to kissing," Mari grumbled. "All they do is kiss girls' hands. Kallen, you kiss him!"

Kallen turned bright red. "Me? But-"

"Go on, he likes you! I bet he'll let you!"

"Mari-chan," Sayoko said sternly, "you should never tease the people who keep you safe."

"Yes, Mama Sayo," Mari sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets and kicking at the ground.

"Kallen, could you give them a snack?" Sayoko asked. "I know it's a little early, but I want Shinji to take his nap right after."

Kallen cast a hesitant glance at Lelouch. "I could, but-"

"I am quite sure that I can keep Lelouch safe in the five minutes you'll be gone," Sayoko assured her. "I may be losing my touch, but I haven't lost that much."

"I'll be fine," Lelouch added, sensing that Sayoko wanted to speak to him alone.

With a quick nod, Kallen gathered the kids and led them out of the room.

"You must have questions for me," Sayoko said once they were gone.

"I don't know where to start," Lelouch admitted. "I didn't force you into this, did I?"

"Why would you think that?"

"No offense, but you're not exactly the first person that springs to mind when I think of potential wives, Sayoko."

She laughed softly. "Then you probably shouldn't have let C.C. pick your second wife."

Lelouch gaped at her. "You mean this was her idea?"

"No, she just approved it. It was my idea. I wanted a son, and you were the only one I felt I could trust to give me one. C.C. insisted that we be married first, though."

"I swear I don't understand her, if I ever did."

"Most people don't, but they learn to trust her decisions, anyway. I know she felt it was important that you have at least one Japanese heir. But I wouldn't be surprised if she's interviewing a whole host of potential wives. I know neither of us plans to have any other children."

"C.C. wants me to have more wives?" Lelouch asked in shock.

"Whether she wants it or not, she's accepted it as necessary. And it is. Your children will be the ones running things one day, and we're already behind schedule. But I was under the impression this was something you two had already discussed?"

Lelouch stared at her blankly. "If we did, I've forgotten that, too. But something tells me that C.C. kept this to herself."

"She does seem the type," Sayoko agreed. "Well, I'm sure she's only extending your reign, in her own way. It isn't my place to question her. But it's better that she is for this, instead of against it, right?"

Lelouch had no answer for her. He knew he should be looking at the situation as the Emperor, but for some reason, the only thing he could think of was how Mari might feel about him taking yet another wife.

* * *

Though he knew it might go against C.C.'s wishes, Lelouch spent the next portion of his day in the Imperial Archives, reviewing everything he'd apparently done since obtaining the throne. He expected for everything, therefore, to have an Imperial slant, and was not disappointed. Phrases such as "the traitorous Black Knights" and "Kallen Stadtfeld, His Majesty's One True Knight" kept popping up, and Lelouch had to grit his teeth when he realized that it was probably all true. The records even indicated that several key members of his former organization had been executed just days after his coronation, although curiously, there was no mention of exactly how this had been carried out.

Even worse, he found out how he'd lost his arm: saving Shinji from a bomb that had been planted in his crib. So far, nearly all threats against him had targeted only Shinji: even his worst enemies seemed to agree that attacking anyone close to Lelouch named Marianne was asking for an endless war. The Black Knights, especially, thought Lelouch had earned the right to keep his daughter, and had gone out of their way to make sure that Mari was never anywhere nearby when they struck, although this may have been less out of respect and more out of fear that Mari, like her mother, had a knack for simply refusing to die.

Shinji, a Japanese prince, on the other hand, was seen as a slap in the face to both Britannian and Japanese terrorists. The Britannians were angry that a "foreigner" was in line for the throne, and the Japanese thought Lelouch was just rubbing his reign in their faces.

It wasn't all bad news, however. One of Lelouch's first acts as Emperor was to restore the Ashfords to their rightful noble status. They'd returned to their previous occupation of producing top of the line Knightmare Frames, the first of which were customized black Lancelots that still protected the Britannian Embassy in Japan to this day. Lelouch wondered what had become of Milly, but she was mentioned only briefly as "still entertaining suitors."

Lelouch was also a bit startled to find that every single one of his siblings, with the exception of Nunnally, was dead. The only relief was that he hadn't killed them all. Several had openly turned against the former Emperor, if not to side with Lelouch, then for their own purposes. Odysseus was the only one that had made the mistake of announcing his intentions in front of Charles, and had been executed on the spot. Cornelia was one of thousands lost in the detonation of the F.L.E.I.J.A. bomb. There was no record of Schneizel's fate, and while he had a tombstone in the family burial ground among all of the others, Lelouch was tempted not to believe that until he'd examined the remains himself.

Feeling more lost than ever, Lelouch wandered the halls of the palace (his palace, he kept reminding himself), wishing he had stayed with either Mari, Sayoko, or Kallen. He had no idea where he was going, naturally, although anyone he passed in the hallways practically fell over themselves to be of assistance. Lelouch still had his pride, though, and was determined not to ask anyone he wasn't close to. Besides, he still had enemies here, and until he knew them all, he wasn't about to trust anyone not bound to him by marriage, blood, or years of proven loyalty.

Eventually, he found his way to a series of expansive gardens, which overlooked the massive city of Pendragon. Lelouch didn't stay there long, as seeing so much that he should've remembered, but couldn't, only served to frustrate him even more. He was just about to go back inside when a voice from his past spoke.

"I've waited years for this day, Zero!"

Lelouch turned around to find Tamaki glaring at him. The man was covered in cuts and bruises, and more importantly, he was holding a bloody knife almost as long as his forearm.

"I'll make you pay for lying to us!" Tamaki yelled, lunging with the knife extended.

Lelouch could only stare at him in open-mouthed shock. Reading about the hatred of the Black Knights, and actually experiencing it were two very different things. The very idea that his former acolytes were so determined to see him dead made him sick with guilt. Yes, he had lied to them, but it had been to change the world for the better, for everyone who lived in it.

Tamaki was just inches away from his goal when he jerked to a stop, his eyes bulging, and then spat up a mouthful of blood. He teetered for a second, before collapsing facedown at Lelouch's feet.

And just a few feet behind him stood Mari, her golden eyes narrowed and blazing with twin Geass sigils.

"Mari," Lelouch breathed, and his voice seemed to break Geass's grip on her.

"Daddy," she whispered, the sigils fading at once as her voice trembled. "I'm sorry. I know he used to be your friend, but he was... and you're my... I couldn't just let him-"

"Mari," he said again, swallowing hard. Lelouch knew that he had to say something to remove the fear from his daughter's eyes, but he had no idea what it might be.

"My Geass only kills!" Mari blurted out, tears spilling down her face. "It can't wound, it just kills! What else could I do?!" She turned and ran out of the gardens, leaving Lelouch alone with his fears and a cooling corpse.

**End of Part 2.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Kaguya la Britannia**

"Lelouch! LELOUCH!!"

He found he could only gawk at the sight of Lady Kaguya beaming at him, waving so hard he thought her arm might fall off. Equally welcome was the sight of the Chinese Federation's Empress Tianzi, blushing prettily under the weight of his gaze and trying to hide behind Kaguya. Both had blossomed into gorgeous young women since he'd last seen them, and he suspected that would be obvious even if they were wearing filthy rags.

Mari eyed the pair carefully for a moment before turning to Lelouch. "They look nice, and I wouldn't mind having them for moms. Let's talk to them first!"

Suddenly, this additional marriage thing didn't seem quite so bad...

* * *

Endnotes:

To be clear, Lelouch doesn't have any RECENT memories, which includes the last few years of his life. But many things and people will be familiar, although they'll be older than he expects. Some things will seem like second nature (such as how he treats Mari), largely because he HAS done them before, even if his mind doesn't recall them.

C.C. is the only wife that can take over Lelouch's day-to-day business if necessary. That is (to my knowledge) the difference between an actual, involved empress and an imperial consort or empress in name only (those who get the title simply because they slept with the emperor). Which isn't to say that that wasn't work, just that C.C. arguably has nearly as much power as Lelouch, while Sayoko (and most other wives that Lelouch will take) will not.

I assume I don't need to explain why Suzaku is pissed at Lelouch. That much hasn't changed at all.

I know you're scratching your head over Sayoko being the 2nd wife. Keep in mind that it was C.C.'s idea, and those rarely ever get explained (which gets me off the hook rather nicely!). And so there's no confusion, Mari calls Sayoko "Mama Sayo" because that's exactly what Sayoko is to her: a second mother.

And THAT is how assassins in the palace should be dealt with! Um, anyway. I should point out that while Mari has Geass in both eyes, it obviously isn't always active. Yes, I'll get around to telling you what it is eventually.

Yes, lots of people are missing. They're either dead, in the works, or won't be showing up at all as I don't know enough about them yet.

* * *

**The Family So Far:**

**Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor**

**C.C. (Cecelia) vi Britannia, Empress**

**Marianne vi Britannia II, 1st (Crown) Princess**

**Sayoko le Britannia, Imperial Consort**

**Shinji le Britannia, 1st Prince**

**Nunnally vi Britannia, Viceroy**


	3. Kaguya la Britannia

* * *

Notes: This chapter actually has very little to do with Kaguya, unfortunately. But you do find out more about Kallen, Milly, Tianzi, the Black Knights, the UFN, and Mari's Geass (but still not everything about it).

**Dream of the King**

**A Code Geass Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 3: Kaguya la Britannia**

* * *

_The 99th Emperor was one who inspired strong feelings in everyone under his influence. Curiously, most of his subjects identified with one of his aliases, and hated the other. Lady Kaguya was one of the rare few to embrace every mask that he donned, imprinting all aspects of her husband on her heart long before he ever took her hand in marriage. And when the Emperor captured Lady Kaguya's heart, he captured the heart of Japan._

* * *

Lelouch knew he was in trouble as he approached Mari's bedroom, only to find C.C. standing outside with a frustrated frown on her face. The moment she caught sight of him, her eyes flashed, and Lelouch seriously considered hiding somewhere.

"Fix this," she commanded, pointing at the door. "She'll only open the door for you. And if you make things any worse, amnesia or not, I'll-"

In an act of what he would later consider temporary insanity, Lelouch ended her rant by leaning forward and quickly kissing her.

C.C. blinked, and while her frown did thin somewhat, she still did not look pleased. "Fix this," she repeated, "and do it quickly. No one is going to want to marry you if you can't even keep your daughter happy."

Before he could begin to make sense of that, C.C. walked away, leaving him to fix his own mess. Sighing, Lelouch turned to the door and leaned his head against it. "Mari?" he asked as calmly as he could. "It's Daddy. I'm not mad at you, I promise."

"I killed your friend," Mari whimpered through the door.

"Suzaku is the only friend that could get away with trying to kill me, and even he stopped, eventually." At least, he hoped that was the case. "So you did me a favor. You saved me, Mari. Why don't you open the door so I can thank you?"

"You're really not mad?" she asked hesitantly. "You were mad the last time, even though you said you weren't."

Lelouch blinked slowly. "Who died the last time?"

"The man named Tohdoh."

It shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did. He'd seen in the Archives that Tohdoh had taken over the Black Knights the moment they turned against Lelouch. Really, he was the only one that could have. Tohdoh had evaded capture for years after Lelouch took the throne, but Suzaku and Kallen had finally brought him in. Later, Tohdoh was executed, and now Lelouch knew how. Yet he wasn't the only former Black Knight with an undescribed execution, and a horrible feeling began to well up in Lelouch's stomach.

"Mari," he said softly. "How many times have you had to...?"

"This was the only time I had to," Mari whispered. "But the other times, I wanted to. Mommy told me what would happen, if they ever got to you. I hated them for trying to take you away from me. I could see into their hearts. They hated you as much as I loved you. And I knew the only way they'd ever stop was if they were dead. So I killed them. Mommy and Mama Sayo said it was okay, since I was protecting you. But you got mad when you found out. I tried to tell you what was in their hearts, but you wouldn't listen."

"I'm sorry," Lelouch sighed. "Sometimes it's hard to let go of old friends, even if they're not friends anymore. I didn't mean to hurt you. I know you were only trying to keep me safe. I never meant for you to be ashamed of your gift."

"I don't like killing. But I love you more than anything, Daddy. I had to do it!"

"I love you, too, Mari. But it's hard to show you that through a door."

"But... you don't remember anything," Mari murmured. "How do you know you love me?"

In a rare move, Lelouch decided to be perfectly honest. "You're right, I don't remember loving you. But I love you now. And I always will, every time I look into your eyes. They're just like your mother's. I can't see them through a door, though..."

There was a soft click, and then the door swung open, revealing a sniffling Mari.

Lelouch immediately bent down and pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly with the one arm he did have. "I'm sorry I worried you, Mari. It's just that I have no idea how to be your father."

She pressed her face into his neck. "It isn't something you can try to be, Daddy," Mari whispered. "You just are, even if you don't remember. But I do, and I'm here to remind you. That's all that matters."

"There is nothing you can ever do that will make me stop loving you, Mari. You don't need to live in fear of that. You are my princess."

Mari gasped and drew back, staring into his eyes excitedly. "Did you remember that?"

Lelouch stared at her. "Remember what?"

"You used to call me your princess, instead of saying you loved me! Did you remember?"

He closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I don't think so. It just seemed like the obvious thing to say. Forgive me, Mari."

She pouted slightly. "It's okay, Daddy. I know you can't help it. It's just a risk you take when you use Geass."

Lelouch's head snapped up, and he grasped her arm harder than he meant to. "You know how I lost my memory?" he demanded.

"A little bit," Mari admitted. "Mommy won't tell me all of it. I know you and the last Emperor were fighting, and you almost died. But Uncle Rolo brought you home."

Lelouch's body went numb with shock. "Rolo? But he's-"

"Gone away," Mari said softly, and she even seemed to regret that fact.

Lelouch didn't bother to correct her, assuming that she meant Rolo was dead. Although he was definitely going to question C.C. later on how his "brother" had come back from the dead, and why Mari knew about him at all. It was fairly safe to assume that his amnesia had been a final parting curse from his father, but Lelouch wanted to know for sure, and C.C. was probably the only one who knew all of the details.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Mari cried suddenly, tugging on his hand. "Today's the day you're supposed to pick out a new mommy for me!"

It took a great deal of effort for Lelouch to stay upright. "I'm supposed to do what now?"

But Mari was already dragging him down the hallway, chattering excitedly about how much fun they were going to have. Lelouch, on the other hand, was trying to figure out why Mari wasn't upset over the whole idea. She had to realize that the more wives he collected, the less time he would have for her. Then again, he'd practically spent the whole day with her and only a few minutes with Shinji, so maybe it wasn't as big a problem as he feared.

* * *

Kallen could not help feeling a little intimidated as she watched more and more women file into the large room. There had to be at least fifty already, and when she thought of why they were all here, it made her blood boil.

What right did any of them have? She was sorely tempted to hop into her Guren and run over the entire room of them, laughing manically all the while. And then... what?

She still wouldn't be able to tell Lelouch the truth. And why should she? C.C. was a goddess, and Sayoko was the perfect mother. Lelouch had everything he really needed already, so what could he possibly want with someone like Kallen? She was a soldier in his eyes, someone to keep he and his family safe. Whenever she lost her temper, he would even call her Q-1, to remind her of how far she'd come, and that her behavior should always reflect that. But Kallen couldn't help it, and she knew Lelouch wouldn't understand. He'd never had to watch someone he loved marry someone else, much less two someone elses. And now C.C. was parading these... women into their home, so that Lelouch could take them for wives as well.

If Kallen had her way, they'd all be fighting to the death for the honor of marrying Lelouch. It wasn't that she particularly wanted the women to die (although she wouldn't have minded terribly, either), but she was that confident that none of them could beat her in a fight. And the last thing that Lelouch needed was a wife that couldn't defend herself or her children.

Kallen was jerked from her thoughts when someone slipped their arms around her from behind and squeezed her breasts. She spun around quickly, a knife sliding out of her sleeve and into her hand as she faced the soon to be dead m-

"Milly?!"

The blond woman grinned at Kallen, wiggling her eyebrows lecherously. "My, my, Kallen, how you've grown! I remember when I used to be able to get my whole hand around your boo-"

Kallen slapped a hand over her mouth, blushing furiously. "Milly, what are you DOING here?!" she demanded, before she got a good look at what her old friend was wearing. It was a fancy purple dress, alarmingly similar to what the other accursed women had showed up in. "You... you're with them?" she whispered, her voice a mix of shock and disappointment.

"Of course not," Milly said once she'd pried Kallen's hand away from her face. "Unlike them, I actually have a decent shot of getting Lulu to marry me. But C.C. had to at least make a show of inviting them, so no one would feel slighted." She paused, eyeing Kallen slowly. "You know, if you hurry and change, you could be in one of these silly outfits before he shows up."

Blushing harder, Kallen shook her head. "Don't be stupid. I'm not going to marry him!"

"Not with that attitude, you won't," Milly agreed. "Kallen, I know you. You still love him, and you just need to-"

"You are late, Milly Ashford," C.C. snapped as she walked up to them with Shinji in her arms. "We agreed that you would arrive here thirty minutes ago to watch the First Prince. I am going to make a note of this in your interview profile."

"Hey, don't be that way! Look, I'm here now, right? Everyone's happy!"

"Shinji is not happy," C.C. replied. "Look how upset he is."

All three of them looked at Shinji, who was contentedly sucking on his fist. Realizing that he was now the center of attention, he squirmed irritably and hid his face in C.C.'s neck.

"Oh, he's just shy!" Milly protested. "I'll break him of that habit, just like I did his father. Won't I, my little Shin-Shin?" She tickled his back, and Shinji squealed and batted at her fingers.

"His name is Shinji," C.C. said severely.

Milly completely ignored her. "Oooh, who's my little Shin-Shin?" she cooed, tickling Shinji's foot and being rewarded with his fist gripping her finger. "HA! As usual, no sane man of any size can resist Milly Ashford's charms for more than a minute!"

C.C. turned to Kallen and demanded, "Shoot her. Now, please."

"I want to, but I left my gun in my room," Kallen sighed. "You made me promise not to bring it with me, remember?"

"Yeah, I can see how an insanely jealous woman with a gun would be bad for this kind of scene," Milly noted sagely, plucking Shinji from C.C.'s arms and planting him on her own hip. "Well, you two can bore yourselves with these women who have no chance with Lulu. The prince and I are going to practice our words." She turned and walked off, but not before both C.C. and Kallen heard her trying to coax Shinji into saying, "Marry Milly, Daddy."

"Why did you invite her again?" Kallen asked wearily.

"She is essentially an official contract with the Ashfords," C.C. answered. "It would be in Lelouch's best interest to marry her eventually. There is no chance of the Ashfords producing Knightmare Frames for anyone else, but this would be yet another show of appreciation for protecting Lelouch and Nunnally. Aside from that, she genuinely does love him, in her own way. And that is something I require of any woman seeking to marry Lelouch."

* * *

If there was one thing Lelouch had never imagined he'd have to do, it was picking a wife out of a lineup. Of course, everyone woman in that line had passed several stages of interviews, background checks, and the enormous weight of C.C.s' gaze, and had been deemed adequate. The rest was apparently up to him and Mari.

Well, mostly Mari, anyway. Lelouch didn't particularly want to marry anyone he didn't know, and he was in no mood to marry anyone he did know. He was far more concerned about getting some answers from C.C. and regaining his memory, if possible. But C.C. was apparently busy doing all of the things he normally did as Emperor, which he could understand, but it was frustrating to be left out. He felt that being exposed to the familiar stress might even help restore his memory.

Unfortunately, Mari was more interested in picking out a new wife for him, and every time he tried to get out of it, she would give him a watery stare that just seemed so... wrong in eyes so much like C.C.'s, and he could not find it in him to refuse her. But Mari had promised that he'd only have to talk to the women that she liked, so that was something.

What neither of them had counted on was the fact that once Lelouch set foot into the room, the decision would pretty much be made for him.

"Lelouch! LELOUCH!!"

He found he could only gawk at the sight of Lady Kaguya beaming at him, waving so hard he thought her arm might fall off. Equally welcome was the sight of the Chinese Federation's Empress Tianzi, blushing prettily under the weight of his gaze and trying to hide behind Kaguya. Both had blossomed into gorgeous young women since he'd last seen them, and he suspected that would be obvious even if they were wearing filthy rags.

Mari eyed the pair carefully for a moment before turning to Lelouch. "They look nice, and I wouldn't mind having them for moms. Let's talk to them first!"

Suddenly, this additional marriage thing didn't seem quite so bad...

Ten minutes later, Lelouch found himself alone with the three of them. This was not quite as exciting as he might've hoped, however. Mari was sitting in Tianzi's lap, absolutely mesmerized while the Empress carefully applied silvery polish to the girl's fingernails. Kaguya was sitting in front of them, blowing on Mari's nails as Tianzi finished with them.

"Shouldn't we be discussing something?" Lelouch finally asked. "Anything?"

"The only thing we have to talk about is the wedding," Kaguya replied. "It'll be a double ceremony, so you can marry us both at once. Well, technically me first, since it was my idea and I'm older. Plus, Ji-chan can see how it's done and she'll be less nervous."

"Why do you call her that?"

Kaguya gave him a funny look. "Why wouldn't I? It's her name."

"But nobody else calls her by it."

"Well, it's pretty silly to have a name if no one ever uses it. Isn't that right, Ji-chan?"

"Ah, if you say so, Kaguya," Tianzi agreed softly.

Lelouch frowned at them. "Do you ever let her speak for herself, Kaguya?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Lelouch," Kaguya said firmly. "Ji-chan is a good leader to her people, and she speaks plenty. But here and now, she's a woman a little scared about getting married. So I talk for her, at least until this is over. If you can't understand that, or if you have a problem with it, then we can leave right now, and you can find yourself another set of wives, but I guarantee they won't be anywhere near as great as us."

He blinked, not expecting Kaguya to give up her dream of marrying him over such a simple matter. "It's not a problem."

"And?" Kaguya demanded.

"And... I apologize?"

She smirked. "Hmm. Ji-chan, do we accept his apology?"

"Um, yes," Tianzi murmured, shooting a nervous glance at Lelouch.

"Okay, then we love you again," Kaguya announced happily. "You're so lucky!"

"I can see that," Lelouch sighed, feeling the start of a major headache coming on.

"Oooh, you look stressed," Kaguya commented, using that as an excuse to sit on the arm of his chair and massage his temples. "Had a long day?"

Lelouch slumped in his chair, smiling lazily as her skilled fingers went to work. "Immensely. But at least Mari's enjoying herself."

"She's so beautiful, Lelouch. I want a little one just like her!"

"That is why we're here, isn't it?" he laughed weakly.

"Very funny. And when are you going to put poor Kallen out of her misery and marry her?"

He shrugged. "Apparently, when C.C. tells me to, if today is any indication."

The soothing massage came to an abrupt end. "Lelouch, I'm serious."

Lelouch stared at her, and saw that she was. "Kaguya, I can't make Kallen marry me."

"You don't have to! She wants to, but she's scared! She only needs to know that you're interested, and then she'll jump at the chance to be your wife!"

"Why do I get the feeling you want this more than I do?"

Kaguya actually blushed. "Well, she is just adorable when the light hits her right..."

Lelouch pinched his leg to make sure he was still awake. "I know I'm going to regret this, but... are you planning to sleep with Kallen if I marry her?"

"No." She lowered her voice. "I was going to do it, anyway. But if you do marry her, I'll let you go first."

"I never actually thought you were serious about the harem."

"A smart woman never jokes about such things, Lelouch."

Something occurred to him. "Wait, does that mean that you and Tianzi...?"

Kaguya winked at him. "She's mine until you marry us, and even then you might have to wait your turn."

Lelouch didn't know if he should feel cheated or impressed. "I don't know how C.C. will feel about this."

"She was rather proud, last time I checked. She showed me this technique where you put your tongue on the-"

"I really need to talk to that woman," Lelouch groaned.

* * *

C.C. returned to her bedroom later that night, only to find Lelouch facedown in the middle of the bed. Shaking her head, she walked over to the bed and tapped his foot. "Either you roll over, or I'm sleeping on top of you."

Lelouch turned his head so he could stare up at her. "I'll move when you tell me why I'm marrying two women at the same time."

"I thought you lost your memory, not your brain. They're two of the most powerful women in the world, and they're willing to marry you. Kaguya can smooth things over with the Japanese, and Tianzi will ensure that Li Xingke and the Black Guard honor the UFN's terms."

"Black Guard," Lelouch murmured as he rolled over. "That's the name the Black Knights with Xingke chose so they wouldn't be affiliated with Zero any longer?"

"Yes," C.C. answered, sitting down beside him on the bed. "Ironically, anyone who still calls himself a Black Knight is your enemy. Tohdoh's faction kept the name to remind themselves of the original purpose that united them. They don't believe that a Japan governed by your sister is truly free, despite Suzaku's best efforts."

Lelouch chuckled softly. "He never gets tired of preaching, does he?"

"Actually, he has. There was an attempt on Nunnally's life a few months ago, and he's been quite ruthless in his methods ever since. Deep down, he's afraid he'll lose her in the same manner that he lost Euphemia."

"Good," Lelouch murmured, wondering if he really meant that. Nunnally was safe, and if the cost was a bit of Suzaku's foolish morality, he wasn't going to lose much sleep over it. He closed his eyes as he felt C.C.'s fingers sliding gently through his hair.

"You're forgetting more and more each time," she whispered. "At first, it was just a few random days, or a week here and there. Your opponent was very imaginative in his curse."

"Can't say that surprises me." He opened his eyes and gazed up at her. "I don't suppose you have a cure stashed somewhere?"

C.C. looked away from him. "Theoretically, if you gave up your Geass for immortality, your brain might be able to repair itself. But you might actually have to further damage your head just to kick start the process, and even then the memory loss might remain."

Smirking, Lelouch pulled her hand away from his head, lacing his fingers through hers. "I suppose you wouldn't like the idea of me sticking around for that long."

"You'd be completely insufferable."

"My Geass... I would miss it, but I've accomplished what I set out to do. If I relied on it to rule, I'd be no better than my father. I intended to be Emperor without it, and now I have the opportunity."

"You may not have to." C.C. slowly slid her hand from his. "There is an extremely slim chance that you will gain immortality and retain your Geass."

Lelouch sat up at once. "Has that ever been done before?"

"Once."

Something in her voice bothered him. "It isn't you, is it?"

She glared at him. "If I still had the power to make everyone love me, do you really think I'd ever let you talk back to me?"

"Yes," he said at once. "You wouldn't love me if I was that boring and easy to control." Lelouch said this without thought, and he could tell by the way her eyes softened that every word was true.

"It isn't me," she sighed after a moment. "It's your brother."

"Schneizel?" he asked half-heartedly, already knowing the answer.

"Your younger brother," C.C. clarified.

"I don't have a younger brother."

"Stop being stubborn, and yes, you do."

Lelouch frowned at her. "Since when?"

"Since he brought you back to me, and sacrificed his life for yours twice," C.C. answered. "Even Nunnally feels the same way."

"What do you mean, twice? He died after the first time. I buried him. He deserved that much. But why do you and Mari keep talking like he isn't dead?"

C.C. stared at him as if he'd just lost his mind, or possibly found it. "There's only one reason we would, and it should be obvious, even to you."

"I just told you that he died and I buried-"

"Yes, and no."

"What does that mean?"

"Yes, his heart stopped beating and you buried him, but no, he isn't literally dead or still buried. Although he might as well be to us. Take my hand, Lelouch."

He didn't really want to, if it meant seeing Rolo alive again, but C.C. clearly wasn't going to let the matter rest, so he reluctantly took her hand. The moment he did so, the floor seemed to fall away, and Lelouch suddenly found himself back inside the Sword of Akasha. His first thought was that it should've been impossible, since he'd sealed the entrance.

Except something in his head insisted that he hadn't, that he'd been so angry at the time that he'd charged straight through without giving the doors a first thought. That was how he'd run right into his father's trap, and probably how he lost his memory.

"Big brother?" asked a familiar voice behind him.

Lelouch knew what he would see when he turned around, but he was so very wrong.

Rolo stood before him, twin Geass sigils quivering in his eyes as they overflowed with tears of blood. And just behind Rolo, frozen in the red sphere of influence of his Geass, along with the rest of the temple, were Charles di Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia, matching expressions of disbelief on their faces.

"You're safe, big brother," Rolo whispered, the joy unmistakable in his words. "You survived. I'm so happy..."

"But you're dead," Lelouch said softly, without thinking. "I buried you in the-"

Rolo stretched out his hands, and Lelouch recoiled at the sight of them, a ghastly composite of shredded flesh, hard-packed soil, blood, and bone. "How could I rest when you needed me? You were alone. There was no one else to help you. I had to do something, anything to save you, big brother."

Lelouch shook his head, his mind reeling as he tried to process all of this new information. "You... what are you?"

Rolo immediately dropped to one knee, gasping and clenching at his heart as dark red blood trickled out of the sides of his mouth. Yet he still managed to bow his head and cross one arm over his chest. "I am, now and forever, Rolo Lamperouge, your Knight of Zero, Your Majesty."

**End of Part 3.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Nunnally vi Britannia**

"Nunnally, it's so good to..." Lelouch paused, gaped, and slowly pointed to the monstrous thing that looked as if it were slowly swallowing up his sister's lap. "What is THAT?!"

Suzaku shot him a confused glance. "You don't remember Arthur?"

Lelouch blinked. If Suzaku was to be believed, Arthur had nearly tripled in mass over the years, his huge, grey body pulsing with every slow breath that he took.

Smiling, Nunnally gently ran her hand along the sleeping cat's back, ending with a scratch behind his ears. "Say hello to Lelouch, Artie."

Arthur opened one eye, hissed in Lelouch's general direction, and went back to sleep.

* * *

Endnotes:

Just so there's no misunderstanding: the Black Knights split after Zero's identity was made public. The people still trying to kill Lelouch (basically, Tohdoh's faction and Ohgi's resistance group) are considered to be former Black Knights. Those who chose not to do so (led by Xingke) are now called the Black Guard, are still affiliated with the United Federation of Nations, and serve as its army. That doesn't mean that they've made peace with Lelouch, but it does mean they are technically reluctant allies, as far as the UFN is concerned.

I'm not sure if any of the Ashfords was ever listed with a rank, but I know I can't find one anywhere.

I've seen far too many screenshots of Kaguya with her hands all over Tianzi not to be convinced they'd end up as more than friends. I don't know about you, but I'd rather end up with Kaguya, instead of Odysseus. Something about a guy who looks that nice is just really creepy in a series like Code Geass...

Yeah, Rolo's back. I know you've got a million questions about that, and I'll probably get to most of them next chapter, maybe.

**The Imperial Family So Far:**

**Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor**

**C.C. (Cecelia) vi Britannia, Empress**

**Marianne vi Britannia II, 1st (Crown) Princess**

**Sayoko le Britannia, Imperial Consort**

**Shinji le Britannia, 1st Prince**

**Kaguya la Britannia, Japanese Representative and U.F.N. Chairwoman**

**Tianzi (Jiang Lihua) li Britannia, Chinese Federation Empress**

**Nunnally vi Britannia, C.U.J. Viceroy**

**Rolo Lamperouge, Knight of Zero**


	4. Nunnally vi Britannia

* * *

Notes: This chapter is really, really unfair to Suzaku, but there are far worse fates, if you ask me.

**Dream of the King**

**A Code Geass Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 4: Nunnally vi Britannia**

* * *

_The Viceroy's harshest critic often targeted her blindness, stating that "if she cannot see two feet in front of her, then how can she be expected to see what Japan needs?" To which the Viceroy responded, "I am not blind because I have seen too little. I am blind because I have seen far more than any one person needs or deserves to. And if I can bear the sun's blinding light without flinching, then perhaps I can teach others to do the same."_

* * *

"He's going to die there," Lelouch said dully, staring into the bathroom mirror.

"It would seem so," C.C. agreed calmly at his side, turning her head slightly as she brushed out her long, green hair. "It's strange. Perhaps he isn't immportal at all. Because of his Geass, he may be unconsciously slowing down time in the temple. That will surely destroy his heart. Eventually."

"And all he asked in return was to become my Knight?"

C.C. shook her head. "No, but I felt he deserved it. No one had done more to keep you alive, not even Kallen. Sometimes I wish I hadn't done it, though. It might have put positive stress on his heart, but he really can't afford any stress at this point. I don't want to think about what will happen if he does die. There will be nothing holding Marianne and the former Emperor prisoner any longer. With any luck, Rolo will have the foresight to destroy the Sword of Akasha before that can happen."

Lelouch gave her an odd look. "Why didn't you just kill them?"

"For you, and for Mari. She had a right to see her namesake, and you did choose to visit them, however infrequently." She paused, closing her eyes briefly. "I suppose I hoped that Mari would one day reach the point where she could let her grandmother go."

"You mean kill her."

C.C. opened her eyes to find that Lelouch was staring at her, a blank expression on his face. "Yes."

"Mari's Geass. What is it? Exactly."

"She didn't tell you?" C.C. asked, looking surprised.

He nodded. "I'm not really sure I understood her, though."

"The Power of Absolute Judgment. She can see into a person's heart, and know exactly what kind of person they are: their dreams, fears, desires. And if she finds reason to do so, she can crush their hearts. That's the simplest explanation."

"Why did you let her kill Tohdoh?" Lelouch asked.

"Do you remember the kind of man Tohdoh was? She didn't have to read his heart. I brought her into his cell, and he told her exactly why he wanted you dead. Mari listened to every word, thanked him for being honest, and killed him." C.C. reached out and placed her hand on his cheek. "She understood that it was the only way he'd stop seeking your death. He made certain of that."

His eyes narrowed. "That still doesn't explain why, C.C."

"Do you realize that you can't lie to a child who can read hearts, without them knowing it? When she first asked, I told Mari that her grandmother was dead. It was easier, better. But she knows the truth now, and prefers the lie. The only way she can sleep at night is to know, without a doubt, that we love her too much to ever abandon her. But it goes both ways, and she would do anything to keep us together, even kill your enemies herself. If you can't see that this is what Mari needs for her peace of mind, simply because she inherited our problems, then you aren't the man I married."

"So it's my fault my parents are insane, is it?"

She sighed and let her hand fall away. "No, your whole family is. Nunnally has to be adopted. You'll see her tomorrow, by the way."

"What's so special about tomorrow that she'd come here?" Lelouch asked.

"Kaguya already told her about the wedding. And Nunnally isn't coming here. You're going to Japan."

* * *

"Good morning, Japan! It's time for the Morning Meow with Artie and Nunna! So without further ado, let's start the day off right with a nice, big MEOOOOOOOOWWW!"

Suzaku couldn't help but smile as answering cries rang out all over the government complex, and indeed, all over the Citizens' Union of Japan. He was still amazed that Nunnally found time to do her radio show every morning, and that it had been so well-recieved, but then he'd seen far more unbelievable things in his lifetime. Although nothing quite topped Kaguya pouncing on a foreign dignitary for talking during Nunnally's daily meow.

Chuckling to himself, Suzaku finished sorting Nunnally's fan mail and was about to take it to her when the phone on his desk rang. With the ease of much practice, he picked up the phone and said, "Britannian Embassy, Office of the Viceroy, how may I direct your call?"

"You can tell me what you're wearing, stud muffin!"

He sighed patiently. "Good morning, Milly. Did you need something?"

"I thought you'd like to know that Lelouch is planning to visit today."

Suzaku frowned. "I don't remember him clearing that with me."

"Because C.C. probably cleared it with Nunnally," she replied. "Or maybe Kaguya did it. Anyway, he's coming, so get ready. And yes, I'm sure, because he left the kids with me. I'm watching Mari and Shinji play checkers."

"Who's winning?" Suzaku asked absently.

"Shinji, but only because he drooled on most of the pieces and Mari won't touch them now."

The doors burst open in that moment, admitting a grinning Kaguya with her arms spread wide. "Suzaku, my darling cousin!" she chirped, descending on him like a rather cute bird and kissing him soundly on the cheek.

"Never mind, I know who it was," Suzaku muttered, hanging up the phone.

"Is someone in trouble?" Kaguya asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at him.

Suzaku tried very hard not to groan. "Why do you insist on making my life difficult, Kaguya? Haven't I always been good to you?"

"It's because I have so much confidence in you that I place challenges in front of you! Aren't you always saying how much you want to improve?"

"Physically, Kaguya. How is putting up with Lelouch for a day going to help with that?"

She frowned at him. "Because if you don't, I'm going to punch you in the nose!"

Suzaku took a good look at Kaguya's adorable raised fists, and decided he should humor her by at least pretending that she could hurt him. "Well, I wouldn't want that."

"Oh, thank you, Susie-kun!" she sang, latching onto his neck.

He closed his eyes. "I've asked you several times never to call me that, I'm sure."

"But you're so cute when you eventually do whatever I want that I can't help it!"

Suzaku was still trying to pry her off of him when the intercom on his desk buzzed. "Hey, you two! It's almost time for the next episode of 'Kitty and her Dragon,' and Artie's telling me that neither of my stars is in costume!"

"Nunnally," Suzaku said wearily, "for the thousandth time: it's a radio show, no one can see us, and I don't WANT to be a dragon..."

"That's very rude to say to someone who used to be blind," Nunnally pointed out, putting just enough pout in her voice for Suzaku to wince.

"Yeah! And I LIKE our costumes!" Kaguya chimed in, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "Don't you WANT to be my dragon, Suzaku?"

"I'm going to get in trouble if I answer that, aren't I?"

"Only if you answer it WRONG."

Resigning himself to his fate, Suzaku closed his eyes as Kaguya stuffed a large, goofy-looking foam dragon's head over his own head. When she looked at him expectantly, he could only sigh and offer a pathetic, "Grrrr." Although he certainly managed a more realistic one when Kaguya put on her costume: a pair of easily detachable cat ears.

"A real dragon would probably eat a kitty, you know."

"That would only make her purr louder, Suzaku."

"WHAT?!" he cried, his face red.

"Nothing! Time to do the show!"

"Kaguya, what-"

"TIME TO DO THE SHOW!" Kaguya tugged him out of his chair and shoved him towards the door, humming loudly all the while.

* * *

Things had gotten very quiet, so Milly glanced up from her magazine. "Mari, why are you in your brother's crib?"

"I have to make sure he's really asleep," Mari said in a hushed voice.

"Why?"

"He's my baby brother," Mari replied, gently smoothing out Shinji's black hair.

"That's sweet, but can't you do that from right outside the crib?"

Mari shook her head. "No. He could be faking it."

"He's a baby. Why would he even bother? It makes no sense."

"Neither does drooling everywhere, but he does that."

Milly bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Well, leave him alone for a minute. Us girls need to have a little talk."

"Okay." Mari carefully climbed out of the crib, being sure not to kick Shinji on her way out. Taking one last glance at him, she went over to Milly and climbed into her lap. "You're not wearing the fancy dress today," she observed, picking at Milly's shorts.

"No, I'm not trying to impress anyone today." Which wasn't really true, as any man that saw Milly's legs would be impressed. But Milly wasn't about to admit that wearing a fancy dress around Shinji, after he'd been fed, had been a very bad idea. "I want to know how you feel about your father marrying again."

"I'm fine with it," Mari responded. "Both of the ladies are really nice, and I think I can finally get a little sister if I'm lucky."

"It doesn't bother you at all?" Milly asked carefully.

"I guess it would, if I didn't like them, or if they were mean or ugly. But they're not. Mommy says Daddy needs more wives to keep him busy. She can't play with him if she's doing all the things he normally does. This way he won't ever be lonely."

"Hmm. What would you say if I wanted to marry him?"

Mari gave her a long look. "Only if I get to be the flower girl. But you should probably wait until Kallen wants to get married, too. Then we can have another double wedding and save a bunch of money."

"Sounds like a plan. So do we have a deal, flower girl?" Milly asked, offering her hand. "You talk your Daddy into marrying me, and I'll make sure Kallen is on board with it."

"I don't know," Mari murmured. "She's pretty stubborn. I had to beg for a week before she'd let me ride with her in the Guren, and even then it was only for a minute."

"You let me worry about Kallen," Milly said confidently. "So, deal?"

"Deal!" Mari agreed, shaking her hand. "But, um, Shinji shouldn't be in the wedding. He might eat the flowers."

* * *

"Oh, stop it!" Kaguya finally snapped, causing Lelouch and Suzaku to stop glaring at each other and turn to her. "You both loved Euphemia, she loved you, and that's all you should care about!"

"But-" Suzaku began to argue.

"Has Lelouch really done anything that someone ELSE in this room hasn't done?"

Suzaku paled slightly and shut his mouth.

Lelouch thought that was something of a low blow (even if it did end the fighting), and was about to say so when the bright red "On the Air" sign above Nunnally's office door suddenly went dim.

Kaguya grabbed each of them by an ear and dragged them into the office, giving them a final shove before walking out and closing the door behind her.

"From the looks on your faces, I'm guessing Kaguya was right to make sure this room had thick walls," Nunnally said as she wheeled out from behind her desk.

Lelouch just stared, so unused to the sight of Nunnally looking right back at him that his mind went blank.

Suzaku glanced at him and quickly gave Lelouch a hard elbow to the ribs, which was both necessary and bit enthusiastic, all things considered.

"Nunnally, it's so good to..." Lelouch paused, gaped, and slowly pointed to the monstrous thing that looked as if it were slowly swallowing up his sister's lap. "What is THAT?!"

Suzaku shot him a confused glance. "You don't remember Arthur?"

Lelouch blinked. If Suzaku was to be believed, Arthur had nearly tripled in mass over the years, his huge, grey body pulsing with every slow breath that he took.

Smiling, Nunnally gently ran her hand along the sleeping cat's back, ending with a scratch behind his ears. "Say hello to Lelouch, Artie."

Arthur opened one eye, hissed in Lelouch's general direction, and went back to sleep.

Lelouch grunted. "Still mean as a snake, I see."

"Only around extremely stubborn boys," Nunnally countered. "Otherwise, he's perfectly sweet."

"So he won't go for my throat if I try to hug you?"

Nunnally thought about that for a moment. "Suzaku, could you take him?"

"Well, that's reassuring," Lelouch snorted.

Suzaku looked about as eager as Lelouch sounded, and even though it only took a few seconds for him to transfer Arthur from Nunnally's lap to her desk, he still came away with a shallow scratch on the back of his hand. "I got off lucky. He would've bitten me if he was wide awake."

"I could probably get you a mountain lion that was less vicious than him," Lelouch chuckled as he bent down to hug Nunnally and kiss her cheek.

Nunnally poked him in the chest. "You leave my cat alone, Lelouch. He's never scratched me or Kaguya."

"That still leaves everyone else that's ever been near him."

"Just for that, I'm bringing him to your wedding!"

Lelouch glared at her. "Nunnally, you're my sister and I love you, but you're awfully close to being uninvited."

"That wouldn't work," Suzaku pointed out. "She'd just show up as part of Kaguya's family instead of yours."

"They're not related."

"True," Nunnally admitted, "but Kaguya and Suzaku are, so I could go as his date. That makes me related on a technicality. Right, Suzaku?"

Suzaku muttered something unintelligible, his face very red.

Lelouch couldn't resist. "If that's how you feel, I could talk Kaguya into letting you two get married right before us. Mari would love it, and it would help a great deal if the UFN saw us getting along."

"B-But!" Suzaku sputtered in alarm. "We can't get married!"

"Of course you can," Lelouch replied with a smile. "I give you my blessing, and I'll even give Nunnally away, so there's no problem at all."

"You'd really do that, Lelouch?" Nunnally asked softly, her eyes watering.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," he told her honestly. "Although, Suzaku would need to propose first..."

Both siblings looked at Suzaku expectantly, only to find that he was sweating like crazy and nervously eyeing the door.

"Well, Suzaku?" Lelouch asked, barely able to keep the laughter out of his tone. "We're waiting."

"Nunnally," Suzaku said pleadingly. "You don't really want to marry me, do you?"

"I suppose I don't have to," Nunnally murmured, tapping her chin, "but it's going to be very awkward to explain why we're sharing a bed unless we do get married first."

"But we aren't!" Suzaku cried, shooting a worried glance at Lelouch, who was taking it amazingly well.

"Not yet," Nunnally agreed, barely stifling a giggle in time.

"Nunnally!" he practically shrieked.

"Then again," Lelouch added, "if Suzaku doesn't want to marry you, Nunnally, we can't force him. But I would expect him to do the proper thing and say as much to your face."

Suzaku stared at him in horror. "What?!"

"Just tell me that you don't want to marry me, and we'll forget Lelouch ever brought it up," Nunnally said, doing an admirable job of keeping a straight face.

Suzaku glanced at each of them, unable to believe what he was hearing. He'd never had it in him to say something so hurtful to Nunnally, and they all knew it. There was just no way for him to get out of this and remain single, apparently.

He knew his fate was sealed when Nunnally tapped the intercom on her desk and said, "Kaguya, could you call C.C. and let her know that we'll be having three weddings instead of two?" The answering squeal of delight made all three of them wince.

* * *

Kallen was not in the habit of hiding from people, but Milly had been following her all day, and worse, she was dragging the kids along with her. Truthfully, Kallen wasn't sure which of the three she was more afraid of, but the possibility of having to deal with all of them at once ultimately drove her to hide in the one place that most sane people stayed far away from.

New Camelot was, despite the misleading name, perhaps one of the worst ideas Lelouch had ever come up during his reign. On paper, of course, uniting four of the greatest scientific minds of the day was a stroke of genius. What Lelouch had not taken into account, however, was that when put into the same room (or in this case, locked inside an underground research laboratory for weeks on end), these same four minds would instead produce an unheard of amount of childish pranks, namecalling, food fights, and sexual tension the likes of which the world had never known. All of this was a bit counterproductive in the long run, but there was no denying that Lloyd Asplund, Rakshata Chawla, Cecile Croomy, and Nina Einstein were among the smartest people alive... when they actually chose to act as such.

Unfortunately, they almost never did that, and Kallen was the only person left that could stand being in their combined presence for more than an hour. And even she spent most of the time locked inside the Guren with heavy metal music blaring from the inner speakers, as that was only slightly less grating. If not for the fact that the elite Knightmares were stored and repaired there between engagements, Kallen might very well have requested her own personal storage garage. At any rate, Nina seemed to enjoy her visits, and Kallen honestly felt sorry for her, being the youngest one on staff.

Lloyd and Rakshata were, of course, the main instigators. Despite actually once being friends, constant exposure to each other had revealed any hidden flaws and exploited them to an intolerable degree. Kallen was of the opinion that Lloyd was either secretly heterosexual, or fantastically so, because at various points it was implied that he'd bedded each of his comrades, although how he could stay among them without being driven to homosexuality or madness was a true mystery.

Cecile had grown tired of breaking up fights by the third week, and now only interrupted when Lloyd and Rakshata came to blows (and even that was less violent and more embarrassing than anything else). That was also when she'd stopped cooking for them, and by a large coincidence, when the food fights had, for the most part, ended.

Kallen had to wait for a break in the fighting to make a quick escape. She was starting to get hungry, and a grumbling stomach was comparable to death by indigestion in New Camelot, as Cecile had still not been told that her offers to cook left much to be desired.

"For the last time, this is MY design, and I'll thank you to keep your sticky fingers off of it!" Kallen heard Rakshata shout as she neared the door.

"Now, now, my Caramel Countess," Lloyd responded smoothly, "there's no need to take that tone with me. Why don't we just sit down and-"

"That had BETTER NOT be the plans for my new Knightmare on your work bench!"

"Why, I haven't the faintest idea how that happened! Nina, my dear, did you perhaps move the-"

"IT WAS YOU AND YOU KNOW IT, YOU PUDDING-BRAINED LITTLE THIEF!"

Wincing, Kallen quickly typed in the access code for the door, just as the sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed loudly throughout the lab. She risked a glance over her shoulder to see Lloyd flying backwards over a table with a bright red handprint on his cheek.

The door slid open just in time to admit a grinning Mari. "MILLY, I FOUND KALLEN!" the girl shouted at the top of her lungs.

Kallen groaned and slumped against the wall as Milly charged in carrying Shinji in her arms. "Ah ha! Found you, my runaway bride-to-be! Get her legs, Mari!"

Mari instantly attached herself to Kallen's left leg, hanging on for all she was worth.

Kallen seriously considered how much trouble she might get in for striking the First Princess with witnesses around. "Milly, I am NOT getting married! Just let it go!"

"NO!" Milly snapped, getting right in her face. "I can't get married unless you do, too, so we are GOING to get married, whether you like it or not!"

"You can't make me!"

"Oh no?" Milly asked, smirking. "Are you sure about that, Kallen? I have my ways."

"I'd like to see you try-"

"Get her, Shin-Shin!"

Kallen paled as Shinji was shoved into her arms. He gurgled happily and made a spirited grab for her hair, which she just barely dodged. "Milly, no matter what you do, I won't give in!"

Milly crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head sadly. "You leave me no choice but to get rough on you, Kallen. Mari, give her... The Treatment."

Mari nodded and stared up at Kallen, twin Geass sigils flaring to life in her eyes. "Kallen, why won't you marry my Daddy? I know you love him a lot. I can see it in your heart."

"That's not the point!" Kallen insisted. "You don't get married just because you love someone!"

"I know. But you love Shinji the way Mama Sayo loves me. So you have every reason to get married."

"What's this?" Lloyd interrupted, popping up behind Kallen. "Is our bright and shiny Guren getting married?"

"I am NOT the Guren!" Kallen growled. "And I'm NOT getting married!"

"So you are bright and shiny?" Mari asked, scratching her head.

"What? NO! I-"

"Trust me, dear," Rakshata added, "only a fool would turn down a chance to marry the Emperor now. He'll probably forget that you're even married half of the time."

Kallen glared at her. "I don't want him to forget something like that!"

"But there isn't anything worth remembering right now, is there?" Cecile chimed in, quickly catching on to the little game.

"Of course there is! I've been with him since the start, and... and he should've married me FIRST!"

"So why don't you tell him that?" Nina asked innocently.

Kallen blushed. "Well... because... C.C. is-"

"Growing both bored and ancient waiting for you to admit even that much," C.C. sighed as she slipped into the lab. "All you had to do was ask."

"I... what?" Kallen whispered in disbelief.

"You and Milly are free to marry Lelouch exactly one month from the latest wedding, provided that you agree to watch the children while I take care of the arrangements."

Kallen was still stunned, but Milly was not. "Hey! How come Kaguya didn't have to watch them?!"

C.C. shook her head. "Chairwoman Kaguya is far too busy for such things, unless she happens to volunteer. If it should suddenly occur that the UFN couldn't function without you, then naturally, you would be exempt from babysitting as well."

"I'm Milly Ashford! MEN can't function without me!"

"Lelouch has managed just fine without you thus far," C.C. replied smugly. "No one knows that better than I."

* * *

It was well after midnight when Lelouch finally set foot in his bedroom again, and the sight that awaited him was not one he'd expected.

C.C. was on her side of the bed, clothed for once, and fast asleep.

Lelouch's side was occupied, and had he not recognized the smaller body and similar green hair, his failing memory would've been the least of his problems.

Moving as quietly as he could manage, Lelouch crept over to his side of the bed and tried to shift the extra body over without disturbing it too much.

Naturally, Mari's eyes snapped open the moment he touched her. "You're late," she noted, glancing at the clock on the nightstand.

"You're in my spot," he countered.

"It smells like you, and you weren't here," Mari replied, hugging his pillow tightly.

"Well, I'm going to need them both back."

"Trade?"

Lelouch blinked. "What do you want?"

Mari grinned up at him. "A little sister."

"Right now?"

"No. You'll do, for now."

Mari rolled over slightly, allowing Lelouch a decent portion of the bed. The moment he was in it, however, his portion shrunk as Mari snuggled up to his side.

"You owe me," she added, poking him in the ribs.

He chuckled. "I know, one sister to be delivered on demand."

"No, not for that. I got you two wives."

"I know, I was there."

"No, two OTHER wives. Today!" Mari beamed at him expectantly, but several moments passed without a reply.

"Are you mad at me?" Lelouch finally asked.

"What? No! You're supposed to be happy!"

"I am happy," Lelouch insisted. "I was happy with two kids and two wives." He paused, glancing over at C.C.'s supposedly sleeping form, and added a bit loudly, "I'll bet I was even happier with one kid and one wife, too."

"Shut up, the both of you," C.C. grumbled, although she sounded nowhere near as upset as she could have.

"Don't you even want to know who I picked out for you?" Mari whispered in his ear.

"Did your mother approve your choice?" Lelouch asked.

"Yeah."

"Then tell me in the morning."

"But it IS morning," Mari whined.

"Then tell me after we wake up."

"How can you sleep when you don't know who you're marrying?"

Lelouch stroked her hair lightly. "I trust my girls," he said simply. "But right now, I'd rather just sleep with them."

"But we can do that anytime we-"

"Marianne vi Britannia II," C.C. said sternly, "one more word and you'll be sleeping in your room."

Mari instantly fell silent, biting her lip. She stared helplessly at Lelouch, gesturing wildly at C.C. until he got the message.

"Mari wants to know if she can say two last words."

Sighing, C.C. rolled over to face them, her expression bordering on fury. "What?"

"Night, Mommy," Mari whispered, kissing her on the nose.

C.C. closed her eyes briefly, returning the kiss on Mari's forehead. "I have two words for you as well."

"Sweet dreams," Mari guessed.

"Sleep now."

Pouting, Mari shifted over so she could snuggle with Lelouch again.

"I'm sure she really meant the first one," he added, trying to reassure her.

"She did," Mari confirmed, smiling. "Mommy's a lot mushier about her feelings inside her heart. But don't tell her I told you."

"It'll be our secret," Lelouch agreed, despite the fact that he could feel C.C. glaring at him.

**End of Part 4.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Tianzi li Britannia

"Stop worrying, Ji-chan. Your dress looks perfect," Kaguya insisted, studying herself in the mirror. "Mine, on the other hand, makes me look fat."

"No, it doesn't!" Tianzi protested with more force than she meant to.

Kaguya glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "Well, I'm glad to hear you feel so strongly about it. Anyway, who would know more about my figure than you? You're the only one I show it to regularly."

Tianzi blushed bright red. "Kaguya, please. Someone could hear you!"

"And what if they do? We're the two most powerful women in the world, and we're less than an hour away from marrying the one person who might be able to do anything against us. I doubt he would, but this way it makes certain people less afraid of him."

There was a pair of soft clicks as the door to their changing room opened and shut, and Tianzi turned just in time to see a green blur vanish beneath her billowy wedding dress, two small hands clamping onto her ankles.

"Hide me!" a panicked voice whispered. "There are reporters crawling all over the place, and they keep taking my picture!"

Kaguya laughed softly as she reached down, gently tugging Mari out into the open. "You're a princess, dear. Naturally, they want to immortalize you on film, because you're so gorgeous."

"But all the flashes make my eye itchy," Mari complained, rubbing at her right eye, which did seem very red. It was only when she dropped her hand that Tianzi gasped.

"Oh, Kaguya, her eye is more than irritated! It's neon red!" Tianzi knelt down and gently grasped Mari's head, turning it this way and that. "She needs a doctor right away!"

"It's okay, Miss Tianzi," Mari disagreed, blinking rapidly. "My eye evolved again last night, and it's always sensitive to bright lights right after. But Uncle Susie let me borrow his shades for the wedding."

"Your eye... evolved? Again?" Tianzi asked, frowning. "What does that mean?"

"That I'll be okay by tomorrow," Mari replied, sounding surprisingly firm on the matter. "But thanks for worrying about me. I think you'll be a great Mommy, and you can practice on me anytime you want." She gave the startled Empress a big hug.

"Oh. Thank you, I guess," Tianzi murmured, returning the hug. "But are you sure you're okay, Mari?"

"Well... a little sister might help me feel better. Twins, if you could manage it."

* * *

Endnotes:

I decided whoever the current head of the Ashford family is (Milly's grandfather, maybe?) should have a ranking nearly equal to Lloyd. My reasoning is this: assuming the Ashfords never lost their status in the first place, they'd most likely be one of the leading producers of Knightmares, which is obviously a booming business. Lloyd himself was excited about possibly getting his hands on their designs, which tells you how major they were. Now, the Ashfords aren't going to command a special division of the military, but in restoring their nobility, Lelouch basically made it as if Milly had married Lloyd (which would've made her Countess Asplund, and perhaps Countess of Camelot in private). But since Milly isn't the active head of the family, she's just Lady Ashford now.

Rakshata is a countess now (mostly because she wouldn't tolerate Lloyd being over her, and as a thank you from Lelouch for her services).

C.C. is not entirely immune to Mari's Geass, although she can actively resist it. In other words, Mari can only read her heart if C.C. isn't aware of it, or if C.C. chooses to let her.

I had a thought. Suppose some lucky devil (like, oh, Suzaku) marries into royalty. Would he get his princess's Britannia name, or...? Eh, my head hurts. Must sleep now, will edit the list as needed later.

* * *

The Imperial Family So Far:

Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor

C.C. (Cecelia) vi Britannia, Empress

Marianne vi Britannia II, 1st (Crown) Princess

Sayoko le Britannia, Imperial Consort and Head of Palace Security

Shinji le Britannia, 1st Prince

Kaguya la Britannia, Japanese Representative and U.F.N. Chairwoman

Tianzi (Jiang Lihua) li Britannia, Chinese Federation Empress

Milly su Britannia, Ashford Heiress

Kallen u Britannia, Emperor's Knight

Nunnally vi Britannia, C.U.J. Viceroy

Suzaku Kururugi, Viceroy's Knight and Head of Britannian Embassy Security Team

Rolo Lamperouge, Knight of Zero


	5. Tianzi li Britannia

* * *

Notes: Some people keep asking about Xingke and why Tianzi isn't married to him. Well, because that's boring, that's why. But you will find out why she's not with him this chapter, if I haven't made it terribly obvious already (I think I have, maybe you weren't paying attention).

**Dream of the King**

**A Code Geass Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 5: Tianzi li Britannia**

* * *

_Of all the 99th Emperor's wives, only the Chinese Federation Empress has openly confessed to having no genuine affection for the man. "I cannot pretend to love a man who has terrified me largely since I first met him," she once said. "I became his wife only in the interest of peace. Yet I see the way his children adore him, and the pride with which his wives would willingly lay down their lives to preserve his unmatched genius. I cannot help but feel honored to stand among his wives, and cherished when his children reach for me. He will never love me as he does them, but in his home, I am loved, and that is enough."_

* * *

The bedroom was exquisite, and so was the palace overall, but they only made Jiang Lihua feel more like a foreigner, and it was only recently that those had been welcome in Britannian society.

"Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make your time here more pleasant, Jiang-sama," Sayoko said from behind her, bowing respectfully.

That in itself was nothing new: people had, one way or another, been bowing to the Chinese Federation Empress for most of her life. But this was one of many times when Tianzi felt it was completely undeserved. In the eyes of Britannia, she and Sayoko were essentially equals, both lesser wives of the Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, and little else. Of course, she had learned that Sayoko was responsible for all things relating to the security of palace, something that Tianzi found rather impressive for a woman, period, and especially a Japanese woman in Britannia.

"You have been very kind to me," Tianzi said after a moment. "May I ask why?"

Sayoko raised her head, blinking slowly. "I realize this situation is not ideal for you, but we have no intention of making you feel like a prisoner. It is our hope that you may one day come to think of this palace as your home."

Tianzi shook her head. "I know all of that. But why are you, specifically, being kind to me?"

"I prefer to believe that I am equally kind to anyone who has done nothing to offend me or those I defend," Sayoko replied. "In your case, though, Chairwoman Kaguya specifically asked me to ensure that you were comfortable here."

"She didn't threaten you, did she?" Tianzi asked at once, frowning. "She has a tendency to do that sometimes..."

Sayoko smiled. "No, it was not necessary. I was happy to be of assistance. I suspect she never told you this, but Kaguya is my little Shinji's godmother. If not for her, he might not be here now. I would do anything she asked of me."

"No, Kaguya never mentioned that," Tianzi whispered, suddenly feeling very ill. She had just held the darling little boy in her lap not more than ten minutes ago. It was difficult enough to imagine him not existing, but that Kaguya was entirely responsible for his survival was making her head spin. It wasn't that she didn't believe, but Kaguya was just so... Kaguya, and Tianzi simply couldn't wrap her mind around the woman even being present during childbirth, as it was entirely too messy and loud for someone such as her. Or so she'd thought, anyway.

"Are you not feeling well, Jiang-sama?" Sayoko asked with concern. "You paled so quickly."

Tianzi forced a weak smile. "No, I'm... just a little nervous. With the wedding being so close and all, I mean."

"I see. Lelouch isn't quite as bad as people make him out to be. Kaguya wouldn't be marrying him willingly if he were that unpleasant."

"That's true," Tianzi agreed. "And she wouldn't have asked me to, either."

"There, you see?" Sayoko smiled triumphantly. "He can't be evil incarnate, then."

"Why did you marry him?" the Empress asked without thinking.

Sayoko paused, considering the question. "Honestly? Because his first wife insisted. I've known her long enough to know that when she insists on something, it isn't to be taken lightly. I had also reached a point in my life where I wanted a child. I suppose I could've taken another route, but Lelouch is one of the few men I've known that never fails to impress me."

"You mean because of his brilliance?"

"No. I was referring to his capacity for kindness and compassion."

Tianzi stared at her in surprise. "I don't understand."

Sayoko laughed kindly. "You understand, you just don't believe. Well, you've met C.C., so tell me: where exactly do you think Mari got her kindness from?"

That was a stumper. From all appearances, C.C. didn't have a kind bone in her body, and if she did, it had either been broken or removed long ago. Frankly, it was very odd, with Mari looking exactly like a much younger C.C. and acting completely different from her mother.

"Don't get me wrong, C.C. can be very understanding at times. In fact, she understands far more than most people ever could. But she has little use for kindness, and prefers wisdom instead. However, I choose to believe that her suggesting I marry Lelouch was a little of both. He needed a Japanese heir, and I wanted a child. It was convenient."

"Then do you love him?"

"Ah," Sayoko sighed, closing her eyes. "That is difficult to answer. I am very fond of Lelouch and Nunnally, and I have been for some time. I swore to protect them as long as they needed me. And though both have released me from that vow, this is where I belong, at Lelouch's side. If you consider that love, then yes, I do love him, in my own way."

"Does he love you?"

"Only Lelouch can answer that. I know that he loves Shinji, and that he had no complaints when we were together."

Tianzi blushed. "Was it...?"

"You have nothing to fear in that department," Sayoko assured her, cheeks pinking slightly. "Lelouch is a considerate lover above all else; C.C. has trained him well. And, like me, I doubt you will be required to take part in it more than once."

"Why is that?" the Empress asked, genuinely curious.

"Because anyone can see that it is Kaguya you love. Lelouch would never exploit you that way, and besides, he'll soon have plenty of wives to choose from. Has anyone ever implied anything different?"

"Well, no," Tianzi admitted. "But I assumed it was already implied."

"You should ask C.C., then. I have no doubt that she will clearly express her feelings on the matter."

* * *

"You will share Lelouch's bed as many times as it takes for you to become pregnant. Knowing him, I would say it should only be the one time. He is quite dependable in that regard." C.C. said this all with a somewhat bored expression on her face, which wasn't making Tianzi any more comfortable. Although the fact that they were currently standing a few feet from the bed where C.C. had no doubt shared many nights with Lelouch was a little intimidating.

"Yes, but... am I not expected to, well... pleasure him?"

C.C. stared at her flatly. "Lelouch will soon be married to six beautiful women. Any further pleasure would probably make his head explode."

"Then... once I am pregnant, I never again have to-"

"You obviously have no feelings for him, so no one would expect you to. But a Chinese heir to the throne is vital. So long as there is one, or at least one in the making, you will not share Lelouch's bed."

Tianzi stared at her uncertainly. "But... before you said I didn't have to. Now it sounds like you're forbidding me."

"Before," C.C. clarified, "I was being polite. Now, I am annoyed. You seem to think that sleeping with my husband is a terrible thing. I would remind you that your beloved Kaguya has dreamed of that honor for years. I can appreciate your position, but I do not take insults towards myself or my family lightly."

"I meant no disrespect-"

"I know. That is the only reason I haven't had you removed from my bedroom." C.C. turned away from her, staring at a painting on the wall. "You should know that Lelouch and I are both aware of your feelings. We take no pleasure in asking you to do this, but again, it is necessary. If you do not bear an heir to the throne, the union will not be seen as legitimate. With no possibility for a Chinese heir, your people might-"

"I know all of that," Tianzi interrupted.

"Then why do you act as if you don't?"

She hesitated. "Because I've never been with a man before."

"There isn't much to know. Lelouch doesn't actually expect you to do anything except lie there. Ideally, it could be over in just a few minutes. But I suppose it depends on what Kaguya decides."

Tianzi's head snapped up. "What does Kaguya have to do with any of this?"

C.C. turned to face her again. "She'll be with you, of course. She insisted, and it is a good idea. She has never been with a man either, but she is still quite knowledgeable on the subject matter. You would feel more comfortable with her there, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Tianzi admitted slowly, "but isn't that... a little awkward?"

There was a brief pause, in which Tianzi would later swear that C.C. was smirking, although maybe it was just a trick of the light.

"I sincerely doubt that it will bother Lelouch in the least."

* * *

As the wedding drew closer, Tianzi found that she was less nervous and more curious than anything else. For the most part, she'd been made to feel very welcome, and the few people that did rub her the wrong way tended to have the same effect on everyone, so in no way did she feel like an outsider any longer. The children had taken to her especially quickly, which was surprising for Shinji, at least. Once he figured out that Tianzi, unlike Kallen, was always willing to hold him, he made a beeline for her the moment she entered his line of sight.

Mari was a big help in easing the tension, forever asking questions about what the Chinese Federation was like and if she could go there. Apparently she'd been turned down by her parents, and unfortunately, no one had shared that information with Tianzi until AFTER she'd promised to take Mari home with her one day. It took some major bribing, but Lelouch was finally able to convince Mari that such a vacation was best saved for her sixteenth birthday. And even then, Mari demanded the promise in writing, which she had framed and put on her nightstand, so she could see it every morning when she woke up. C.C. was greatly annoyed by the whole thing, but kept her peace when she saw how happy Mari was about the trip.

Tianzi rarely ever spent time with Lelouch, and when she did, it was always awkward. They simply didn't know what to say to each other, and she was only slightly cheered by the fact that he was just as lost as she was, something that had very little to do with his amnesia, at least when it came to her. But it was hard to stay afraid of a man that was so obviously wrapped around Mari's little finger, even if he was Emperor of Britannia. Having a family seemed to have made Lelouch a lot more relaxed than she remembered. Of course, anything that convinced him not to run around pointing guns at people's heads was relaxed in her somewhat biased opinion.

* * *

"Please forgive the intrusion, Empress, but you have a visitor," Kallen said softly in her ear.

Tianzi put down her glass of water and eyed the redhead with some disbelief. "Are you certain, Kallen? I'm not expecting any visitors." Aside from that, she'd been raised to believe that people who visited during dinner simply had no manners.

Kallen shifted uncomfortably. "It's a UFN representative. He's very insistent."

"And this can't wait?" Tianzi asked, aware that she was starting to get some mildly curious looks from the rest of the family.

"It could," Kallen admitted, "but I can't be held responsible for what might happen if it does. Frankly, he's under heavy guard, and I'd like him out of here as quickly as possible, for his sake and everyone else's."

"Does this rather rude man have a name?"

Kallen smirked. "Who else do you know that would barge in unannounced and refuse to leave until he had proof that you weren't being mistreated by our evil Emperor?"

With a soft groan, Tianzi excused herself from the table and quickly followed Kallen to, of all places, the nursery. There they found Li Xingke glaring at anything that moved. Shinji was bawling his head off while Milly tried to calm him down, and Mari was glaring at Xingke with such distaste that it was a wonder he didn't burst into flames.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Milly cried upon spotting them. "Look, whoever this joker is, the kids really don't like him, so could you get him out of here?"

"This," Tianzi slowly, turning to Kallen with a raised eyebrow, "is heavy guard?"

Kallen nodded. "Mari's been on him like stink on a manure pile ever since he set foot in the palace, and the only people she follows around like that usually don't stick around too long."

Tianzi was tempted to laugh, except that Kallen seemed perfectly serious, and Xingke twitched nervously under Mari's gaze. The girl had never resembled her mother more.

"I will speak with him alone," Tianzi sighed.

"No way!" Mari shouted at once, jumping up and latching onto her leg.

A little startled, the Empress placed a comforting hand on the girl's head. "Mari, what's wrong, dear?"

"I don't trust him! I don't like him! What if he tries to take you away?"

"He wouldn't do that," Tianzi assured her, although she had second thoughts when she noticed the outraged look on Xingke's face. "Well, I wouldn't allow him to."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him!" Mari insisted.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with her. One of us must be present, Empress, for the sake of security," Kallen added.

Tianzi nodded reluctantly. "Very well. This won't take long."

Milly and Kallen stepped outside, although Shinji's wails only increased in volume. Clearly, he wasn't crazy about Xingke being the in the same room with her, either.

Xingke sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. He suddenly seemed older and wearier, although she couldn't really blame him. "I had to be certain," was all he said.

"I'm fine. I'm treated well here, and I'm going through with this. Please stop asking me to change my mind."

He frowned at her. "I can accept that your feelings changed. I can even accept that you've given your heart to another. But I know this is not what you want. This man cannot be what you want."

"What I want is peace for my people," Tianzi replied. "I already have the power to give them that. But with Lelouch's help, and I can do that for others, as well. This is where I can best serve the world, and I would ask that you respect that."

"Would you also ask me to break my promise to you?"

"No. Once I am ready to travel, I will call upon you to escort me. But I will be less inclined to do so if you continue to harrass my new family."

"Yeah, so hit the bricks, chump!" Mari demanded, shaking a fist at him.

"This does not encourage me to leave you in their hands," Xingke pointed out.

"Then trust me to take care of myself. If I can rule over a people, then I think I can handle my own affairs. Besides, Mari is harmless."

"Are you certain of that?" Xingke asked sharply.

Tianzi blinked. "Well, she'd never harm ME."

"But HE isn't you," Mari added, her eyes narrowing in a way that was far too sinister to be the first time they'd done so.

"Are you threatening a UFN representative, Your Highness?" Xingke demanded, his every word dripping with venom.

"Of course not," Mari replied smugly. "I'm just saying that I don't care for someone who CLAIMS to be a UFN representative, yet somehow I doubt that this visit actually represents the stance of anyone else in the UFN, or that they're even aware of it to begin with." Her smile grew wider as Xingke's face went red. "Also, I don't like you because you're a jerk, and because you came here to take Miss Tianzi away. But she's going to be my Mama Tianzi very soon, and if you try this again afterwards, I will personally lead the army that rescues her and removes you from the little power you do still have. Now are you going to leave, or do I have to tell Mommy that you were being mean to me?"

* * *

"Stop worrying, Ji-chan. Your dress looks perfect," Kaguya insisted, studying herself in the mirror. "Mine, on the other hand, makes me look fat."

"No, it doesn't!" Tianzi protested with more force than she meant to.

Kaguya glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "Well, I'm glad to hear you feel so strongly about it. Anyway, who would know more about my figure than you? You're the only one I show it to regularly."

Tianzi blushed bright red. "Kaguya, please. Someone could hear you!"

"And what if they do? We're the two most powerful women in the world, and we're less than an hour away from marrying the one person who might be able to do anything against us. I doubt he would, but this way it makes certain people less afraid of him."

There was a pair of soft clicks as the door to their changing room opened and shut, and Tianzi turned just in time to see a green blur vanish beneath her billowy wedding dress, two small hands clamping onto her ankles.

"Hide me!" a panicked voice whispered. "There are reporters crawling all over the place, and they keep taking my picture!"

Kaguya laughed softly as she reached down, gently tugging Mari out into the open. "You're a princess, dear. Naturally, they want to immortalize you on film, because you're so gorgeous."

"But all the flashes make my eye itchy," Mari complained, rubbing at her right eye, which did seem very red. It was only when she dropped her hand that Tianzi gasped.

"Oh, Kaguya, her eye is more than irritated! It's neon red!" Tianzi knelt down and gently grasped Mari's head, turning it this way and that. "She needs a doctor right away!"

"It's okay, Miss Tianzi," Mari disagreed, blinking rapidly. "My eye evolved again last night, and it's always sensitive to bright lights right after. But Uncle Susie let me borrow his shades for the wedding."

"Your eye... evolved? Again?" Tianzi asked, frowning. "What does that mean?"

"That I'll be okay by tomorrow," Mari replied, sounding surprisingly firm on the matter. "But thanks for worrying about me. I think you'll be a great Mommy, and you can practice on me anytime you want." She gave the startled Empress a big hug.

"Oh. Thank you, I guess," Tianzi murmured, returning the hug. "But are you sure you're okay, Mari?"

"Well... a little sister might help me feel better. Twins, if you could manage it."

Tianzi blushed. "Ah... I could try," was all she could think to say.

"You're putting way too much pressure on her, Mari," Kaguya giggled, patting the girl's head. "Now, me, I'd be glad to give you twin sisters. But that might take a few tries, so you may have to put up with a few more little brothers in the meantime."

Mari scowled for a few seconds, then reconsidered. "I guess Shinji will need another boy to play with eventually. But just one!"

* * *

C.C. left the reception early, offering the excuse of a headache. She went straight to bed, but only managed to get in a few hours of staring up at the ceiling. For some reason, it was harder to pretend that Lelouch wasn't with another woman this time. Yet there was no real reason for her to be jealous.

Kaguya had always been honest about her feelings, and Tianzi had none for Lelouch to speak of. Neither one was a threat to her marriage, or to Mari, and they would become great assets to Britannia. Tianzi's background and desire to see the world would make her an excellent Foreign Minister, and Kaguya was shuffling her own responsibilities around, no doubt so she could spend more time in the palace.

None of which explained the gnawing emptiness that C.C. felt each time she thought of Lelouch being intimate with anyone else. He would always come back to her, of course: there was no other woman alive that could do the things to him that she did. But all the same, that even an instant should be shared with someone other than her was just unacceptable.

Why, then, had she forced him into it?

There were reasons, of course. Lelouch's dream of creating a better world. The need to give Mari a large but close-knit family, so that she would never experience the doubts and fears that Lelouch had. And, though she would never admit it to anyone aloud, watching Mari grow up was one of the few things that made C.C. forget about ever wanting to die. Back when he'd still had his memory, Lelouch had forbidden her to ever talk about such things, and if C.C. had not noticed the tremble in his voice and the hint of fear in his eyes at the time, she might have ignored him.

He knew that nothing lasted forever. Ironically, the one thing that could, a person blessed or cursed with a Code, never would willingly. And for all his genius and power, Lelouch's greatest fear was that he would wake up to find C.C. gone. She had known that even before Mari came along, and there was nothing that would ever make that fear go away.

In truth, C.C. had done little to comfort him on the subject. As much as she enjoyed her life with Lelouch, it wouldn't last. Their family and friends would die eventually. They would fade away... along with any protection from the ravages of time that Mari had inherited from her. C.C. had already decided that she would pass her Code on when Mari could no longer survive without it. That was why she was hesitant for Lelouch to take his father's Code. He would do anything to save Mari, even give his own life. But C.C. was the one who had lived for too long. She intended for Lelouch and Mari to live on long after she was gone.

That was something she hid in the deepest, darkest part of her heart, where not even Mari's inquisitive gaze could ever reach. Not without C.C.'s permission, anyway, and she would never give it.

* * *

Mari left the reception roughly a half hour after her mother did.

It was one thing for a child to merely sense a parent's pain.

But Mari could actually see the moment when her mother's heart broke yet again, and it effectively ruined the celebration for her.

Mari had done an admirable job of masking her own discomfort. She genuinely liked Kaguya and Tianzi, and firmly believed that it would be easy to love them in a short while.

But for all the talks that she'd been given, Mari still found herself unprepared for the reality of the situation. For example, anytime she had a bad dream, or simply didn't want to sleep alone, she could always go to her parents' bedroom, and find them both there.

Not tonight, though. And this was the night that Mari especially needed them both, because she had never felt more distanced from her father. She took some comfort in knowing that her mother felt largely the same way, and knew instinctively that she would welcome the company.

Anything not to sleep alone.

Although Mari's mother just wouldn't BE her mother if she'd ever made things that simple.

"You should be in bed, Mari," was the first thing out of her mouth.

"I am going to bed," Mari answered. "I'm sleeping with you, Mommy."

"Why?"

"Because we both want me to."

No further words were needed, at least not until neither one got any closer to falling asleep.

"I don't remember it being this hard last time," Mari whispered, clutching her mother's nightgown for comfort.

C.C. sighed. "Last time, you were a baby. By the time you were old enough to have an opinion on Sayoko, she was already a second mother to you, and Shinji was here."

"We should always do this," Mari said softly, curling up against her mother's side. "Whenever Daddy has to get married again, I mean. So we won't be lonely or anything."

"That's a very good idea."

"You're not just saying that for my sake, are you?"

C.C. gently ruffled her hair. "Look into my heart, and see your father's love for both of us written there."

It wasn't really a good idea, with Mari's eye still adjusting, but neither one cared at the moment. And it wasn't as if Mari had to look very hard or very long before she saw what she needed to. But it was enough to bring happy tears to her eyes, and after that, sleep came quickly for both of them.

* * *

_In the Near Future..._

As it happened, Tianzi had been pregnant for six months when Lelouch lost his memory again. All things considered, she knew he now had every reason to feel awkward around her. No doubt someone had explained that she was carrying his child, and the hesitant but concerned looks he was giving her spoke volumes.

It was almost adorable, really.

She found that it was easier to associate this blank slate of a man with the one who, under Kaguya's watchful eye, had taken her into his bed the one time. The only real difference between them was the amount of clothing each wore.

Unfortunately, Lelouch could not recall anything from that fateful night, and just as he had with Sayoko, feared that the encounter might have been less than consensual. Once she realized that, Tianzi took him aside and told him the truth.

"It was a little strange for me, but I didn't mind it much towards the end."

"Why?" Lelouch asked at once. "What happened then?"

She blushed slightly. "Well, it... felt really nice. Almost like... um..."

Knowing what little he did of her, Lelouch frowned slightly. "A woman?"

"No, certainly nothing like that. It felt..."

"Good?" he hazarded after a long moment.

Tianzi nodded slowly. "Yes. But it felt like..." She trailed off, searching for the proper words.

"Can you at least tell me what I did that you liked?" Lelouch finally asked.

"I don't think it was anything that you did on purpose," she explained. "You were exhausted after satisfying two women, and you just... collapsed."

"And you liked that?" he asked dully.

She couldn't help the giggle that slipped from her lips. "Not really, no. It was more the way you did it, or more precisely where."

He stared at her expectantly, having no clue where she was going with this.

"You sort of... fell on me, and stayed there," Tianzi stated.

Lelouch frowned, certain he'd heard wrong. "What?"

"I thought about asking Kaguya to roll you off of me, but the longer you stayed that way, the more I started to like it. I could feel your heartbeat against mine, and I just felt-"

"Loved," he murmured.

She stared at him in surprise. "You remember?"

"No. Last night. With C.C.," he explained, turning a little red himself.

"Ah. That makes sense. I imagine it's even better when there's actual love involved."

"I don't-" Lelouch began as she started to turn away. "I mean, I don't... hate you."

Tianzi blinked, smiling slightly. "I'm aware of that, Lelouch."

"What I mean," he tried again, "is that I... uh..."

"Feel something positive towards me, beyond simple caring but not quite in the realm of love?" she offered.

"Yes. That," he breathed, a bit desperately.

"Oh. Well, thank you." With that, she leaned forward and gave Lelouch a lingering kiss on the lips that he was completely unprepared for.

"Do you do that to me a lot?" he murmured after a few seconds.

"Never. But Kaguya is the only other lover I've ever had, and she's been away almost a month now. I may be pregnant, but I still have needs."

He blinked, quickly getting her meaning. "Um... do you want me to...?"

She smiled. "No, that was quite nice. But thank you for offering, Lelouch. It means a a great deal to me."

"If this is because of C.C.," he began, "then-"

"It isn't, not completely," Tianzi assured him. "But we have an understanding, and I would rather not betray the trust she has placed in me."

"So kissing is allowed?" Lelouch asked, growing more confused by the second.

"Infrequently."

"How infrequently?"

She smiled. "What are you doing five years from now?"

He gaped at her. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm not. But you complaining to C.C. would be a very bad idea, trust me."

Lelouch leaned in a little, lowering his voice. "You're afraid of her, too?"

"I prefer to think of it as having a healthy fear of someone who is far more influential than myself, but yes."

* * *

_In the Distant Future..._

"Presenting His Royal Highness, First Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Shinji le Britannia!"

"Is it me, or has Shin-chan gotten taller?" Kaguya murmured as the prince strode into the crowded throne room.

"He just has that effect on people, Kaguya," Tianzi replied. "Although I suppose everyone stands a bit straighter at these events."

Both women smothered giggles behind their hands as Shinji was ambushed halfway up the aisle, nearly getting bowled over by an enthusiastic hug from his older sister.

"Mari really shouldn't do that," Tianzi sighed. "I think it's the reason they stopped announcing who was in line for the throne. No one really believes that the Crown Princess would act that way."

"Really?" Kaguya asked. "I just figured it was shorter, and these parties always seem to drag on forever. But I can't really blame Mari. Shin-chan's a real cutie, just like his father. Oh, look, here he comes!"

Shinji had largely regained his composure after extracting himself from Mari, although his mussed hair was a little reminder that he would always be her baby brother. But he needn't have bothered trying to be formal with Kaguya, who started smirking when he was still ten feet away. He just kissed her offered hand in silence, knowing that doing anything more would result in Kaguya reminding him that she had once changed his dirty diapers.

"Welcome home, Shinji," Tianzi said as he took her hand next.

"It's good to see you, Mother," Shinji replied, kissing her hand with obvious affection in his eyes. "Both of you," he was quick to add when he noticed Kaguya about to protest.

"Sit with us for a few minutes so we can catch up," Kaguya ordered, patting the chair next to her. "We want to hear all about your trip to the EU."

"But I haven't greeted Milly or Kallen yet, and-"

"Are you refusing a request from your godmother, Shin-chan?"

Shinji sighed heavily. "No," he grumbled, sitting down.

Tianzi shook her head. "Honestly, Kaguya, sometimes you're worse than Mari. At least she doesn't make him feel guilty."

"Don't be silly, Ji-chan," Kaguya countered. "A man still needs to respect his mother."

"All of them?" Shinji asked weakly, earning a sharp look from Kaguya. "I'm just saying, I've got six!"

"Well, I'm the most important! I saved your ungrateful life!"

"You know I'm grateful, Mother, but-"

"You aren't! I had to practically force you to sit and talk with me!"

Groaning, Tianzi subtly signaled across the room to Suzaku, who was already on his way over, having noticed the rising volume of Kaguya's voice.

Shinji was just about to resort to begging for forgiveness at Kaguya's feet when Suzaku swept in, all smiles as he tenderly kissed Kaguya's hand.

"Excuse me, but I've just obtained permission from my wife to dance with the loveliest lady in the room, and I estimate that I only have a few minutes before she flies into a jealous rage."

Kaguya giggled lightly. "Oh, you!" She allowed Suzaku to lead her away, but not before she called over her shoulder, "You could learn a thing or two from him about how to treat a woman, Shin-chan!"

Shinji sank deeper into his chair, shaking his head. "She's impossible!"

"You know she's only teasing you, Shinji," Tianzi said, patting his arm. "Kaguya loves you as much as I do."

"But you never tease me. Or make me feel like dirt. Or tell anyone that you changed my diapers!"

She smiled. "That is my way, and this is hers."

"Does she ever do things like that to you?"

"Not as much, but when we met, I was far more sensitive than you. It was a long time before I learned not to always take her seriously. But you must always pay attention to her. In fact, you should go dance with her once she's calmed down. I'm sure she'd love that."

"I have missed her," Shinji admitted, smiling faintly. "It was far too quiet without her around."

"Don't ever tell her that, if you want to keep living."

**End of Part 5.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Kallen the Radiant**

"Kallen, you're fat," Mari noted after a long moment.

"I know," Kallen agreed miserably, pouting. "Stupid baby. Stupid Lulu. Stupid Milly. Stup-"

"Why's Milly stupid?" Mari interrupted, crawling closer and propping her chin up on Kallen's arm. She sounded remarkably open-minded for someone who was so fond of Milly.

"Because she's the one who forced me into this! 'Get married, have Lulu's baby, you'll be so happy!' I've never been more miserable in my life! This is so unfair! I'm the best Knightmare Pilot alive! Japan's Second Sun! Kallen the Radiant! I shouldn't be stuck in this stupid bed for months on end!"

"I'd be mad if I was fat and couldn't get out of bed, too," Mari murmured, giving Kallen's side a careful poke.

Kallen absently brushed her hand away. "It's not that I CAN'T get out of bed. It's that I shouldn't. For the stupid baby's sake. Or mine. Maybe both. I forget."

"That is stupid," Mari agreed. "What if you have to pee?"

"You don't want to know," Kallen replied flatly.

* * *

Endnotes:

If Sayoko's feelings for Lelouch sound confusing, they're meant to be. Heh.

Mari's Geass is not public knowledge, although anyone who was ever a member of the Black Knights is wary of the possibility. I assume Xingke would make Tianzi aware of Lelouch's Geass, to ensure that she wasn't being controlled.

I'm still a bit confused as to who takes precedence in line for the throne. I realize some people are more fit than others, in terms of mental capacity and status, but it still seems odd to me that there was such a large gap between Lelouch and Nunnally. I guess either Lelouch was really that smart, or Nunnally was just way too nice. Of course, that's all conveniently ignored later on in the series, when Nunnally actually is poised to take the throne after Lelouch, so maybe it doesn't really matter much. Probably Lelouch killing off his siblings and a buttload of elite Britannians helped a bit, too.

I realize some of these titles are getting a bit wordy. But realize that the people with the simplest titles are often doing more work than the others combined. For example, C.C. will never be labeled as anything else, simply because she's got her hands in everything and listing it all would be both pointless and frustrating for you and me both. Revised titles are underlined so you can't miss them!

**The Imperial Family So Far:**

**Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor**

**C.C. (Cecelia) vi Britannia, Empress**

**Marianne vi Britannia II, 1st (Crown) Princess**

**Sayoko le Britannia, Imperial Consort and Palace Security Coordinator**

**Shinji le Britannia, 1st Prince**

**Kaguya la Britannia, Japanese Representative and U.F.N. Chairwoman**

**Tianzi (Jiang Lihua) li Britannia, Chinese Federation Empress and Foreign Minister**

**Milly su Britannia, Ashford Heiress and Ministry of Information Spokesperson**

**Kallen u Britannia, Emperor's Knight**

**Nunnally vi Britannia, C.U.J. Viceroy**

**Suzaku Kururugi, Viceroy's Knight and Nemo Squad Leader**

**Rolo Lamperouge, Knight of Zero**


	6. Kallen the Radiant

Notes: There's actually a lot of focus on Milly this chapter, partially because of the, ah, rather unique relationship between her and Kallen. Also, lots of new PLOT developments (you asked for it!) and the return of a certain pinkhead cutie.

**Dream of the King**

**A Code Geass Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 6: Kallen the Radiant**

* * *

_When Lelouch vi Britannia seized the throne, Kallen Kozuki became recognized as the most powerful Knightmare pilot alive. But contrary to popular belief, this was not because the new Emperor proclaimed it so, or even because Kallen's only real competition, Suzaku Kururugi, readily agreed with the notion. It was because both Lelouch and Suzaku had experienced the power that dwells within a heart stricken with unrequited love. Suzaku had made peace with his loss, but Kallen's was a gaping wound, one that was torn open anew each time she looked into Lelouch's eyes. She would only permit Lelouch to wound her, and unleashed the full fury of her ever-bleeding heart on any who sought her beloved's life. For this reason, it is said that two things know no bounds: the depths of Kallen's love, and the depths of Lelouch's cruelty._

* * *

Milly had dreamed of the day when she would wake up in Lelouch's bed.

She was incredibly disappointed to find that it turned out exactly the way she'd pictured.

Lelouch was touching her, at least, but only because the size of the bed made it necessary. Otherwise, he was practically wrapped around Kallen, who was snuggled so deeply in his arms that it was a wonder they hadn't fused into a single person.

It was a very good thing that Milly had taken her turn first. She couldn't imagine watching Lelouch and Kallen, and then having Lelouch look at her with what remained of his passion, if there was even any left for her.

Milly was a blond, but she wasn't stupid. She and Lelouch had become friends more out of convenience than desire, and the love between them was completely one-sided. Lelouch would be upset if she wound up dead, but he wouldn't send the whole of his army after her killer. Perhaps a small, elite portion of it, but little else. So it wasn't that Lelouch didn't care about Milly.

She just wasn't Kallen. No one was.

But that was okay, really. If anyone deserved Lelouch's love, it was Kallen. She deserved to be happy with him.

That didn't make it any easier to watch, though.

Sighing, Milly slipped out of the bed, knowing that she wouldn't be missed. It was a simple matter to track down a comfy bathrobe, as there was already a set of three hung neatly in the closet. Someone had obviously planned ahead (probably C.C., as only she would be so practical about such a thing).

Milly didn't feel the least bit guilty about running herself a bubble bath, even if it woke up her bedmates. It felt odd to think of Kallen that way, but Milly distinctly recalled nibbling on an earlobe that wasn't Lelouch's. She'd been bored, frankly, and her only options were to either join in or pretend to sleep.

Predictably, Milly had just settled in the tub for a good soak when Kallen poked her head into the bathroom. "Room for one more?"

Milly closed her eyes. "Only if you agree not to do something silly, like hide that gorgeous body with a towel."

There was an exceedingly long pause, some slight rustling, and then quick footfalls as Kallen rushed to jump into the bath before Milly could get a good look at her.

Milly ruined the plan by standing up herself just as Kallen reached the edge of the tub.

Both women stared at each other for several moments, Kallen with fascinated horror, and Milly with obvious appreciation.

"I could adjust my bubbles so they don't cover as much, if you like," Milly finally said.

Kallen turned bright red and looked away.

Shaking her head, Milly reached out and gently tugged Kallen into the bath. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

"It's not something I expected to wake up to," Kallen snapped.

Milly couldn't help smirking. At least she had Kallen beat at something. "Turn around and I'll do your back for you."

The redhead eyed her suspiciously. "You're not going to do anything weird, are you?"

"If I did, trust me, you'd love it," Milly giggled, pushing lightly at Kallen's shoulders until she sat down.

"Why do I doubt that?"

"Because you were a virgin yesterday."

"MILLY!!!" Kallen shrieked in outrage, glaring over her shoulder.

Milly rolled her eyes and began to soap Kallen's back. "Well, you were. I think it's sweet. You saved yourself for the guy you love."

"Why didn't you?" Kallen asked, suddenly curious.

"Call it a last act of defiance. Did you think I wanted to get married while I was still in school?"

"But, if Lelouch hadn't taken the throne, your family-"

"Would be screwed, yes. But I mean, it WAS Lelouch. The moment I met him, I knew he'd do it. Just like I knew I'd talk him into marrying me one day."

Kallen looked skeptical, but didn't comment. "So, your first time. Anyone I know?"

"Rivalz," Milly answered with no hesitation.

"That was easy. I thought you'd make me work for it, at least."

"Didn't see the point. He was willing, and I knew he'd let me take command the whole time. Why would I pick anyone else?"

"How was it, then?"

"I didn't hate it," Milly answered. "He blushed way too much, though. Like he had a rash or something. It was sweet at first, but I made the mistake of looking at him in the middle of it, and I couldn't stop laughing. Killed the mood instantly."

"But you didn't hate it?" Kallen asked.

"Nope. Can't speak for him, but I haven't laughed that hard since."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Milly grinned. "For what? It wasn't your fault."

Kallen shook her head. "No, but when I think of how my first time was, and compare the two..."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I asked for this, and for that. The only thing I regret is not sampling you before Lelouch did." Milly paused to lean down and press a soft kiss against Kallen's shoulder. "You've got a very yummy body, Kallen."

"You're being weird, Milly," Kallen murmured, though it was clear that she didn't exactly hate the attention.

"Yeah, and you're blushing, sweetie," Milly laughed. "If you can't even handle a little kiss like that, you'd better stay far away from Kaguya."

"Kaguya? Why, what's wrong with her?"

"Nothing, except she wants to eat you up. Personally, I think you'd enjoy it, but it'd probably be a bit too much for you right now."

"That doesn't make any sense. She's got Tianzi and Lelouch. Why would she want me?"

"Because three hotties are better than two, and she's got good taste. Don't make me prove it right here; I don't know if I can hold my breath that long."

Kallen turned her head, staring back at Milly in shock. "How can you possibly still be horny after last night?"

Milly narrowed her eyes. "I'll have you know that you and Lelouch going at it for five hours straight isn't quite as satisfying from the outside looking in. You're a beautiful woman, Kallen, and it's time you accepted that. Now, you'd better turn around and let me finish your back. All I can think about when you look at me like that is how fun it would be to kiss you."

Kallen quickly turned around, blushing harder than ever.

Milly made a point of taking close to an hour to finish washing Kallen's back. Curiously, at no point did Kallen complain about it, although when Lelouch walked into the bathroom unexpectedly and spotted them, Kallen jumped up like she'd been electrocuted and shouted that it had all been Milly's idea.

Lelouch handled it pretty well, though. He merely hugged Kallen, kissed her forehead, and asked if anyone had thought to wash her front yet. Kallen tried to stammer out a weak protest as Lelouch dragged her back to the bath, but there was no point in resisting.

The brief glance that Milly shared with Lelouch when she handed him the washcloth (not that he would need it in the end) was probably the most genuine communication they'd had in days. In that moment, Milly saw that Lelouch truly did appreciate her, if only because she had opened her heart to Kallen.

Or maybe it was because he never would've managed another threesome so soon without her.

Milly preferred to think that it was the latter.

* * *

C.C. typically slept in as late as she could, less because she needed to and more because she enjoyed it immensely. This morning, though, she was restless: she was alone in her bed. That hadn't happened in quite some time: the few nights when Lelouch hadn't been with her, Mari had been. Still, C.C. didn't feel like getting up, so she just laid there for several minutes.

Not long after that, a familiar scent wafted into her nostrils. C.C. looked up to find Lelouch walking towards her, carrying two large, thin, clearly marked boxes.

"What did you do?" she demanded at once, sitting up.

He frowned. "Why do I have to have done something to bring you pizza in bed?"

"Because you got one for Mari, too. Again: what did you do?"

"I spent the night away from you, and even though that was your idea, I still feel guilty about it. So I thought it'd be nice if I brought my girls pizza in bed."

C.C. closed her eyes. "Just so you know, two pizzas do not make up for you sleeping with two women. But it's a fair start."

Lelouch smirked. "Wasn't one of them for Mari?"

"It would spoil her breakfast," C.C. said imperiously, snatching the boxes from him. "Anyway, she is a child. She prefers mini-pizzas."

Somehow, this didn't surprise Lelouch at all. He sat back and watched, amused, as C.C. began to eat. "I was thinking we could at least spend the morning together, but if you and the pizzas would like some time alone..."

"After I'm done," she stated, her eyes locked on his, "I will give you a taste of eternity."

"Uh, could that possibly wait?" Lelouch asked weakly. "It was a long night. And a long morning..."

"Very well," C.C. replied. "I suppose I can list all of your faults in excruciating detail later."

He stared at her blankly. "You know, I used to think it was amazing that you were just, this, goddess of sex. But now I see that it's almost necessary, because your mouth completely kills any kind of romance in the room."

"You speak as if you would be getting any of said romance any time soon."

"I brought you pizza in bed! Two of them!"

"All that means is that you found your way down to the Pizza Hut I put in next to the kitchens."

"I bet I could get a hug from Mari with no pizza at all."

"True," C.C agreed. "But as I said, Mari is still a child, and thus easily swayed. I haven't taught her to hold out for better offers yet. Next time, her forgiveness will cost you three boxes of mini-pizzas, at least."

Lelouch shook his head. "You're just evil this morning, aren't you?"

"Only for you, my king," she answered mockingly.

* * *

Kallen had been looking forward to something of an extended honeymoon. Frankly, it wasn't possible to release all of the passion that she'd stored up for Lelouch in just two days. Unfortunately, she was too embarrassed to admit that to anyone, which was why she ended up having tea with Milly, Kaguya, and Tianzi instead.

It was good tea, but no tea was an equal trade for sex with Lelouch. Nothing was, for that matter, except perhaps sex with Milly AND Lelouch.

But that only served to make the tea taste far worse by comparison, so Kallen put down her cup and glared at it, though no one present knew why.

"We need baby names," Milly said suddenly, and for no reason at all, in Kallen's opinion.

"Not now," Kaguya groaned. "I was up all night trying to think of one."

"You weren't," Tianzi corrected. "You did that for ten minutes. Then you got bored and fell asleep while I wrote down names for you."

"Well, it felt like all night," Kaguya grumbled. "What about you, Kallen? Any thoughts?"

"Junior," Kallen said firmly, clearly not intending to give the matter any further thought at the moment.

"And for a girl?" Tianzi asked, already dreading the answer.

"The same."

Milly shook her head. "All in favor of abducting Kallen's child at birth so she can't name it?"

Three hands shot up (four if you counted both of Kaguya's).

Kallen glared at them each in turn. "Look, if I wanted to talk about this, I would've asked, okay?! I'm not going to name something that may not even exist at this point! I don't see what the big deal is!"

"A baby is always a big deal, or it always should be," Milly replied.

"Well, it's not like YOU have a name picked out already, right?"

"Joseph Louis Ashford," Milly answered without missing a beat.

Kallen gaped at her. "Wait! Why is his last name Ashford?"

"Because that's what I'm naming him, of course."

"And you don't think someone's going to notice that he isn't Joseph su Britannia?"

"Nope," Milly replied smugly, grinning at her.

"Oh, that's very clever, Milly!" Kaguya laughed, clapping her hands.

"It's not clever!" Kallen snapped. "It's crazy, and more importantly, she can't do it!"

"Kallen," Tianzi sighed, "what area was Milly just placed in?"

"The Ministry of Information, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"And who is the Minister of Information?"

Kallen opened her mouth, paused, and blushed. "I don't know..."

"Well, try this. Who do you THINK it is?"

"C.C.," Kallen answered at once.

"Now, why do you think that, considering that C.C. is the LEAST informative person that we all know?"

"Because the Ministry of Information isn't about keeping people informed. It just gives them enough information to make them feel that way."

"C.C. already approved the idea," Milly added. "Frankly, she thinks that all of the kids should have two names, just in case they ever need to go underground. It's already tradition for Tianzi, and practically for Lelouch as well."

"Wait, does that mean I have to come up with two Chinese names for every child?" Kaguya asked, pouting at Tianzi.

The Chinese Federation Empress smiled and patted Kaguya's knee. "Of course not. It'd be better if the second name was largely unrelated to the first."

"You're using Chinese names?" Kallen asked in surprise.

Kaguya nodded. "Ji-chan and I thought it would be neat if we exchanged traditions when it came to naming. So all my children will have Chinese names, and all of hers will have Japanese names. Maybe you two should try it. You're practically a matched set, anyway, just like us."

"What do you mean by that?" Kallen asked sharply.

"Well, Lelouch married you both in a double ceremony, same way he did us. And you do spend an awful lot of time together. But I think that's true of all of Lelouch's wives so far. Sayoko and C.C. seem to be get along much better than they ever did before."

"I think I like the idea of being stuck to Kallen," Milly murmured, wetting her lips suggestively.

Kallen turned bright red. "But I'm not, um, you know. Not that there's anything wrong with that!"

Tianzi and Kaguya stared at her for a moment before glancing at each other and laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Kallen demanded.

Tianzi was the first to regain her composure. "At this rate, Kallen, I think you may be the only wife that supposedly isn't. And based on the way you and Milly were glowing when you came in, I don't think your claim holds much water."

"I'm not gay!" Kallen shouted.

"Neither are any of us," Kaguya replied with a straight face, just before she glanced at Tianzi and started laughing all over again.

"Yes, you are! Everyone knows about you two!"

Tianzi shook her head. "Kallen, dear, no one at this table is exclusively attracted to men or women."

"No, just men AND women," Kaguya added, giggling a little.

"What?! I'm not-"

"Really?" Kaguya asked, grinning at her. "Then can you look Milly in her eyes and tell her that you're not attracted to her at all?"

"W-Why would I do that?" Kallen stammered. "I-I mean, it's obvious I'm not! And it would hurt Milly's feelings!"

"Only if you meant it, Kallen," Milly corrected. "And even if you could say it, I'd know you never meant it. Your lips don't lie, and I should know. I felt them plenty of times this morning in the bath-"

"SHUT UP!" Kallen cried, blushing and slapping a hand over Milly's mouth.

"Have you noticed that she does that to Milly an awful lot?" Kaguya noted.

Tianzi nodded. "It's her best option, since she's still too afraid to kiss Milly in order to keep her quiet."

"Kissing would be easier, though," Kaguya added. "I mean, it's just leaning forward and MMMMM!!!" She waved her arms wildly as Tianzi quickly stole a kiss. "I was making a point, Ji-chan!"

"I'm sorry, Kaguya. But you can't keep going on about kissing and not expect me to get in the mood."

"How would you like it if I kissed you while you were making an important point?!"

"I'd thoroughly enjoy it," Tianzi replied. "Didn't you?"

"Yes, but that isn't the point!"

"What does the point matter if you got a good kiss out of it?"

Kaguya pouted at her. "We're never going to have a proper fight if you keep cheating!"

Tianzi scooted her chair closer so she could lay her head on Kaguya's shoulder. "And if all I have to do is choose between fighting you and kissing you, we never will."

Kallen watched this all with a kind of fascinated disgust. She couldn't imagine ever being that sappy with anyone, not even Lelouch. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted when Milly licked her hand. Kallen found that she was less embarrassed by that, and more embarrassed by the memory of all the places on her body Milly's tongue had traced just that morning...

* * *

Lelouch was surprised to find Mari sitting on a bench in the middle of the gardens, not far from where she'd killed Tamaki. This fact didn't appear to bother her at all, and he quickly reminded himself that it shouldn't: she had done it to save him, and he had reassured her that it had been the only choice. Still, he thought it was a bit morbid for Mari to act as if it had never happened.

"I was looking for you," Lelouch said as he sat down beside her. "I thought the three of us could spend the day together, but your mother kicked me out to be alone with her pizzas, and you, apparently, were hiding from me."

"I wasn't really," Mari said, leaning against his side. "I'm waiting on a response from my pen pal."

Lelouch noticed that she was searching the sky, for some reason. "Is that something else I forgot, or have you just not mentioned it?"

"Both, I think. I don't talk about her much. She asked me not to."

Something about that answer gave him a bad feeling. "Mari, does your mother know about this?"

"Of course! Otherwise, they might shoot down my pen pal when she makes deliveries here."

Knowing he would regret asking, Lelouch did so, anyway. "And why would they do that?"

"Well, because she didn't want to learn how to drive or ride a bike, and there's really only one thing she knows how to travel in. Oh, look! There she is!"

Lelouch closed his eyes as he lifted his head, afraid of what he might see. He wanted to trust in Mari's judgment, as it hadn't failed him so far, but everything about this seemed wrong to him. But when he heard the familiar sounds of a Knightmare with a Float System coming in for a landing, he just had to look.

He regretted it instantly.

The Mordred stood before him, obviously restored to its former glory. There was a single, curious addition, however: a ridiculously large orange painted on its chest, and was, inexplicably, smiling. Below it, someone had printed in bold lettering, "Orange You Glad To See Me? Orange-kun Farms Delivers!"

All too soon, a head of pink hair emerged from the cockpit.

Mari began waving wildly. "Hi, Anya!"

Lelouch was too stunned to move as Anya Alstreim walked up to them, wearing so much orange that his eyes were tempted to bleed. It clashed horribly with her hair, and indeed, every other part of her that was exposed, but she didn't seem to notice.

"For you, Your Highness," Anya said, producing a large orange and handing it to Mari.

Lelouch watched, horrified, as Mari opened her mouth wide, obviously intending to eat the fruit without peeling it. "Mari, don't-"

"It is good for her," Anya interrupted coldly.

By then, Mari had already taken a big bite, and was chewing slowly, making a face every time she got a taste of peel.

"Why are you here, Anya?" Lelouch asked after he managed to tear his eyes away.

"I have a message for you and the Empress, Your Majesty. Jeremiah Gottwald is dead, and his Geass Canceller is missing."

"What do you mean, it's missing? How is that possible?"

Anya glanced down at Mari, and then said, "It was forcibly removed. That was how he died."

"Do you have any idea who was responsible?"

"I have no proof, only suspicions." Anya paused, as if thinking over something, and then nodded. "I have turned over control of Orange-kun Farms to a trusted party. I formally request to be allowed to rejoin the military."

"In what capacity? Your old job doesn't really exist anymore."

"I understand that your daughter does not have a Knight assigned to her. This is an enormous oversight."

"No, it isn't," Lelouch disagreed. "Between Kallen and Sayoko, there is no need for-"

"Unacceptable. If the princess is away from you and the palace, she will be completely exposed. That is how Jeremiah was killed."

"First of all, it would've taken an army-"

"I'm quite sure there was one. I found several of them in the orange fields. Jeremiah did not die easily, but still, he died."

Lelouch was fairly certain that this was a very bad idea, but C.C. never seemed to be around when he really needed her input. "Anya, don't take this personally, but you have been known to exercise poor judgment in some day-to-day situations. Give me one good reason why I should allow you to protect Mari."

"I can convince her to eat all of the foods that taste horrible, but are good her for."

"That's a pretty big boast."

Anya arched an eyebrow. "You don't think she actually likes eating oranges without peeling them first?"

Lelouch didn't want to admit it, but he was already impressed. "I'll have to discuss this with C.C. first."

"Take your time. We will be here." Anya extended her hand, and Mari obediently spit out a few seeds. Anya immediately knelt down and began digging in the garden with her free hand, obviously meaning to plant the seeds that very minute.

Lelouch felt like he should stop her, but suspected it wouldn't do any good. Sighing, he headed inside to find his first wife. On the way, he risked one last backward glance, and saw Mari carefully refilling the hole while Anya lectured her on the proper care of orange seeds. He couldn't say why, exactly, but somehow the image did not strike him as strange as it would have ten minutes ago.

Then again, if whatever Mari saw in Anya's heart allowed her to trust the former Knight of Six, Lelouch knew he would have to do the same.

* * *

Suzaku reread the letter three times before finally accepting it as being lawfully binding. Then he sighed and dragged himself into the bedroom, where Nunnally was reading a book in bed, with Arthur perched possessively in her lap.

"Nunnally? Darling? Goddess of my heart?" Suzaku asked as charmingly as he could.

Nunnally slowly put her book down. "Oh, Suzaku. What did you do this time?" she sighed.

"I was just going to ask how you feel about... oranges?"

She paused. "Well, they're not my favorite fruit..."

Suzaku cringed.

"...but I enjoy one on occasion. Why?"

"So, hypothetically speaking, if I happened to go out and buy, say, a few million oranges, you would be, what? Only slightly miffed?"

Nunnally stared at him. "Suzaku, if you tell me that you went out and actually did that, know that my legs would be the only thing stopping me from leaping across this room and strangling you."

He beamed. "Good news, then! I didn't do that at all!"

She frowned, sensing there was more to the story. "You didn't?"

"Nope! I inherited them!" Suzaku laughed, showing her the letter. "Anya named me the C.E.O. of Orange-kun Farms! Eh heh heh. AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Suzaku," Nunnally said calmly, "pretending to go mad won't save you this time."

"Who's pretending? I own millions of oranges as of noon today! That IS mad! What am I supposed to do with millions of oranges, Nunnally?!"

"I'm sure I don't know, dear. But I do know that I'm not eating or drinking more than two orange-related products per day, so you're on your own with the rest."

"How is this my fault?" Suzaku asked desperately. "I didn't ask for this!"

"You befriended Anya. You might as well have."

"I wouldn't have done it if I ever thought she'd stick me with millions of oranges!"

"Well, I'm sure nobody ever thinks that will happen to them, Suzaku. But this is Anya. You should've kept your distance on principle alone. And we both know you have a weakness for pink hair. In fact, I don't think I want you talking to her anymore."

He stared at her in shock. "Nunnally, be reasonable!"

She frowned at him. "I AM being reasonable! She has more of a connection to my mother than I did, and she just stuck you with millions of oranges!"

"Well, when you put it like that, I'm starting to see your point. But still-"

"But nothing! You send her a thank you note for the orange farms, and then politely tell her that you want nothing more to do with her!"

Suzaku blinked. "Wait, what? I thought you didn't like her?"

"I don't," Nunnally replied, "but that's no reason to be RUDE about it. Honestly, Suzaku, I'd think you know me better than that."

"But we still hate her?" he asked, seeking confirmation.

"Yes. But only in private."

"So if see just happened to show up here tomorrow?"

"We'd serve her lots of orange juice and send her on her way. And that had better be a hypothetical situation, Suzaku."

"It is, it is! Anyway, I don't think she'll be coming here anytime soon. From the sound of the letter, she's going back into the military, and C.C. will want to keep her close."

Nunnally frowned. "To what? Home? Herself? Mari?"

Suzaku shrugged. "I don't know, just close. She just seems to connect with Anya where no one else does."

"I suppose having the same person possess you can forge that type of bond. Or force it, anyway."

* * *

Rolo's eyes shifted as he felt a familiar presence within the Sword of Akasha. He didn't get many visitors, so he made a point to remember each one, if for no other reason than to reassure himself that he wasn't gradually losing his mind, among other things. Staring at two people he hated had gotten boring after the first ten minutes, and he couldn't really be sure how long he'd watched over them since.

It took some effort to plaster a somewhat pleasant smile on his face as Mari ran up to the broken column he was sitting on. "Uncle Rolo!" she cried, scrambling up the column with that same boundless energy that he envied so much. Thankfully, Mari remembered the rules halfway up, and slowed down just before she reached him. "I missed you," she murmured, plopping down beside him and patting his arm briefly.

"Same here," Rolo replied. "You're bigger every time I see you."

"I brought Anya with me."

"I know," Rolo said softly. Anya had only come here once since he'd taken up residence in the temple, back when Mari was still a baby. He thought it odd that she would come back now, so something must have changed. "Why don't you visit with your grandparents while I talk to Anya? We'll just end up boring you, I'm sure."

"Okay." Mari stood up, pausing as she started to move away. "Uncle Rolo, does it hurt you? Being here all of the time?"

He blinked, staring at her curiously. "Most of the time, no. My Geass slows down the aging process. So I don't feel much pain, or anything else, for that matter."

She bit her lip. "Do you want to?"

"Sometimes." He watched her walk over to Charles and Marianne, even as he sensed Anya's presence behind him. "Anya. You're watching over Mari again?"

"It was a mistake to ever stop," Anya answered. "I was too busy trying to make sense of my past to realize that my future was here, with her."

"She'll be in good hands with you."

"Have you constructed it yet?"

He closed his eyes. "You're early, you know. You said it wouldn't matter until she was at least sixteen."

"I also thought that Jeremiah would outlive me. I was wrong. I can't afford to be with this."

"It isn't something I can rush. One mistake and it'll be useless, and we won't get a second chance."

"Finish it," Anya stated. "Mari may need it sooner than I anticipated. C.C.'s blood won't protect her forever. For every year that the child exists outside of her mother's womb, the protection grows weaker."

"I know all of that. But this isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world, or it would've been done already."

"If you love your niece, get it done," Anya said simply.

Rolo sighed as Mari made her way back over to them. He had known from the first time he'd been allowed to hold her that he would die for her. It had never bothered him, at least not until he'd realized what tricky business it was. Dying without first ensuring her survival was unthinkable. It would've been easier to ask for C.C.'s help, but that was no good, either. Mari's parents were too biased: Lelouch too ready to die for her, and C.C. too ready to die, period. And there was no point in Mari living forever if she couldn't share it with the two people she loved most.

* * *

Some women, in Kallen's opinion, were born to be mothers, or at least it came to them as second nature. She could always easily imagine what Kaguya or Tianzi might look like when they became pregnant, and indeed, the images in her head were proven rather accurate when the two women began to show. In those mental pictures, though, they were standing and walking around. So one might assume that all pregnant women should be capable of the same thing. Kallen had certainly thought so.

That is, until SHE began to show, and all of the problems started. Kallen had a much harder time keeping any food down, and as she'd been very trim even before she got pregnant, had to gain some much needed weight, which felt both uncomfortable and unnatural. But it was either that, or increase the risk of her child suffering serious problems later on. And Kallen had already decided that if she was going through nine months of sheer hell, she was going to make damn sure that it wasn't for nothing.

Oh, and there was pressure. Already it had been confirmed that Kaguya was having twin girls, which thrilled Mari to no end. Tianzi, despite the fact that she was having a boy, was just as serene as she'd always been. Even Milly still managed to look gorgeous mere minutes after she'd emptied her stomach in the bathroom each morning. It was downright annoying. They walked around patting each other's bellies and saying good morning to children that weren't even born yet, and it made Kallen want to have them all fitted for maternity straightjackets.

Kallen, on the other hand, eventually found herself confined to her bed, where she could do little more than glare and pout. Crying was also an option, but Kallen still had some of her pride. Everyone already knew she was extremely moody, and only Sayoko and Mari popped in to check on her regularly. Sayoko brought her anything she might need or want, but Mari was mostly there to ask odd questions and point out things that were often best left unsaid. Fortunately, Kallen had been around the girl far too long to be sensitive to such things, which was a good thing, because any other pregnant woman unfamiliar with Mari might very well have strangled her.

* * *

Most people did not wake up to find the Crown Princess of Britannia peering at them over the edge of their bed. Kallen personally knew the few that had, and could be certain that it was rarely ever pleasant for very long.

"Kallen, you're fat," Mari noted after a long moment.

"I know," Kallen agreed miserably, pouting. "Stupid baby. Stupid Lulu. Stupid Milly. Stup-"

"Why's Milly stupid?" Mari interrupted, crawling closer and propping her chin up on Kallen's arm. She sounded remarkably open-minded for someone who was so fond of Milly.

"Because she's the one who forced me into this! 'Get married, have Lulu's baby, you'll be so happy!' I've never been more miserable in my life! This is so unfair! I'm the best Knightmare Pilot alive! Japan's Second Sun! Kallen the Radiant! I shouldn't be stuck in this stupid bed for months on end!"

"I'd be mad if I was fat and couldn't get out of bed, too," Mari murmured, giving Kallen's side a careful poke.

Kallen absently brushed her hand away. "It's not that I CAN'T get out of bed. It's that I shouldn't. For the stupid baby's sake. Or mine. Maybe both. I forget."

"That is stupid," Mari agreed. "What if you have to pee?"

"You don't want to know," Kallen replied flatly.

"Actually-"

"Mari. No."

"Oh, alright." Sighing, Mari squirmed her way under Kallen's arm, pressing her ear to the redhead's belly. "Aw, I don't hear anything. Doesn't the baby make any noises yet?"

Kallen smirked. "I know you may find this hard to believe, Mari, but the baby isn't here to amuse you."

"So how come you haven't named it?"

"I don't know," Kallen replied hesitantly. "I just don't want to, yet. I can't explain."

"Can I name it, then?"

"I don't think that would be a good-"

"Call it Lloyd!" Mari blurted out.

Kallen blinked several times. "There are so many things wrong with that idea that I'm afraid to ask why you can't see them."

"But Lloyd's great! He's really funny, and he's always got pudding to share!"

"True, but that's no reason to name my baby after him."

"Why not?" Mari demanded. "YOU didn't name it after anything."

"I'm still considering my options, okay?" Kallen snapped.

Mari was quiet for a long moment, and then she asked softly, "How come you don't want to name your baby, Kallen? Why don't you want to be a mom?"

"Because... I don't want to end up like my mother," Kallen muttered. "No child deserves that."

"But you won't be anything like her," Mari insisted. "It isn't in your heart. Anyway, I wouldn't mind having you for a mom, and you know how picky I am. You'll be an awesome mom!"

Kallen closed her eyes tightly, but it was no use: she could feel the tears doing their best to escape, anyway.

"It's okay," Mari whispered, hugging her gently. "I won't tell anyone you cried."

* * *

"You never did tell me," Anya said, "why it was that you entrusted Mari to me."

"Your fate is forever tied to that of Marianne vi Britannia," C.C. replied. "I should hope that this one treats you far more kindly, however."

"She thinks I'm her best friend. But even I don't know what or who I am."

"You are my daughter's Knight, and you would lay down your life for her, even if it were not required of you. You are easily the best friend she'll ever have. You may not believe that until you die in her arms, but even then, it will be true."

* * *

Although there were several reasons, Lelouch eventually took his father's Code for a purely selfish one: he wanted to be able to remember his children. Not because of the awkward feeling of staring into an unknown child's face and fearing it belonged to him, though. Lelouch knew that one day, out of all his children, only Mari would be with him. He could not say how he knew, only that C.C.'s silence and Mari's clinginess implied as much.

He understood the unspoken conflict perfectly: C.C. still intended to die, passing on her Code to Mari in a final act of love, so that Lelouch would not be alone. But Mari would never accept a reality that didn't include herself being with both parents.

Lelouch knew he could not intervene. The only idea that he could safely support was that Mari had to survive. Truthfully, he had little desire to be immortal, knowing what it had done to C.C., and what it might do to he and Mari. But if it meant he could share more than one lifetime with his girls, he would gladly live as long as he could.

* * *

_In the Near Future..._

"Ming! Ling!" Kaguya shouted. "Get back here, you little scamps!"

Tianzi watched in amusement as Kaguya's twin girls crawled rapidly across the carpeted nursery floor, giggling like mad. "Poor Kaguya. If only there were two of her."

"It's her own damn fault for promising Mari twin sisters," Kallen replied. "Let her chase the little brats down by herself. One day, she'll learn to keep them in her lap, like the rest of us do."

Tianzi thought that comment was a little biased. Of all the children, only Kaguya's girls, Liling and Mingyu, seemed to be the really adventurous type. They were always wandering off the minute Kaguya's attention was elsewhere, and almost never in the same direction at once.

On the other hand, none of the other mothers really gave their babies the chance to prove otherwise. They were all firmly what Kallen called "lap mothers," never letting their children venture more than a few inches away. This was surprisingly true of Milly as well, who never allowed her precious little "Joey" to get even a speck of dirt on him. He was easily the cleanest of the children, despite being an adamant thumb sucker.

On the other end of the spectrum was Kallen's son, Naota. He was always playing with something no one could ever recall giving to him: small pieces of machinery, royal seals, spare pairs of Nina's glasses, and once, the Guren's activation key (which Kallen swore had been locked away in New Camelot at the time). Mari insisted that his Geass was stealing, but no one took her seriously until ten boxes of mini-pizzas went missing, only to later be found underneath Naota's crib.

Tianzi's son, publicly known as Seijin, but privately called Zenkei, was the best behaved. With his calm demeanor and soft, white hair, he was often likened to a tiny old man. He was known for shooting withering looks at nearby adults while his sisters, younger by little more than a week, tugged playfully on his arms. Lelouch was convinced that he was Schneizel reborn, often saying that Zenkei was the most likely to surpass his older siblings and claim the throne. Mari was fine with the idea, but already Shinji had been caught trying to push Zenkei out of Tianzi's lap and claim the spot for himself.

* * *

_In the Distant Future..._

The gunshot was one of the loudest sounds that Mari had ever heard. Ironically, the shot was never intended for her, even if it was aimed at her heart. But it would be at least a few hours before even her father made the connection.

The shooter had known, long before he ever picked up a gun, that it was technically impossible to kill Anya Alstriem, Knight of C. Within her Knightmare, the impenetrable Mordred Agravain, she was completely protected, and outside of it, she was far too evasive a target, even with her signature pink hair.

Ironically, the only way to kill Anya was to force her to take a bullet for her princess.

Mari, for the first time in her life, had been unable to move while under attack. One moment, she had been waving to a crowd of cheering Chinese citizens, and the next, Anya was in front of her, and there was blood absolutely everywhere.

It was only when Anya finally hit the ground that Mari remembered who she herself was. It took her three seconds to find the shooter among the crowd, another to lock in on his heart, and only half that to crush it. He fell beneath the surging, panicked crowd, and would later be found trampled nearly beyond recognition.

Once that was taken care of, Mari had turned back to Anya. Lelouch was at her side now, applying pressure to the gaping hole in her chest, but at the same time knowing it was pointless.

Anya's eyes fluttered open as Mari's fingertips brushed her cheek. She seemed to have trouble focusing, but her grip was like iron when she grabbed Mari's wrist. "Your Highness," she gasped, "you must..."

Mari had caused so much death in her short life that she knew instinctively what Anya was asking. But it had always been an enemy standing across from her, never a dear friend. "Anya... I can't," she whispered. "You... you're my best friend. You can't die..."

"Your Highness," Anya repeated, "please..."

"Mari," Lelouch said quietly. "Sometimes dying is better than being killed. If she really is your friend, you must grant her last wish, no matter how much it hurts."

Taking a deep breath, Mari leaned down and gently pressed her forehead to Anya's. "Goodbye, Anya. I'll miss you more than you'll ever know."

Geass had become second nature to Mari, but it took everything she had to summon it this time. Anya's heart was terribly simple to read, even now. There was concern for the Mordred, admiration for C.C., fondness for Mari, and little else.

There was no need to crush Anya's heart. A gentle squeeze was all it took.

Anya shut her eyes tightly, and then she was gone.

Two days later, Mari stunned everyone by announcing that she would become the Mordred's new pilot. "He wouldn't fly for anyone else," she told Lloyd when he asked. "Anya did everything in her power to protect me, so it's only fitting that Mordred become my Knight now." Even more amazing, C.C. gave the idea her full approval, and the Mordred Agravain was officially recognized as the new Knight of C. Within a month, Mari joined three of her brothers on the front lines, and anyone that witnessed the Mordred in action knew that Mari's kills had nothing to do with her Geass.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Marianne vi Britannia**

The red haze receded, and as Marianne took her first breath of freedom in what seemed like forever, a slight noise behind her made her spin around.

"Hi, Grandma," Mari said softly, staring up at her namesake. There was no warmth in title, but then, there never really had been.

"Hello, Mari. It's good to see you again. You're getting so big."

"Yup. We need to talk."

"Yes," Marianne agreed, frowning as both their eyes lit up with Geass, "on that much, we agree."

* * *

Endnotes:

Okay, I know the pinkhead comment in the notes probably threw some people. At least, I hope it did.

Knight of C is not a typo.

Naota's Geass isn't really "stealing," although Mari would see it that way, since he took her favorite treat.

Almost forget: Agravain is another of Mordred's brothers in Aurthurian legend, so you can assume that the Mordred Agravain is an upgrade. Er, more on that Knightmare next time.

* * *

**The Imperial Family So Far:**

**Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor**

**C.C. (Cecelia) vi Britannia, Empress**

**Marianne vi Britannia II, 1st (Crown) Princess**

**Sayoko le Britannia, Imperial Consort and Palace Security Coordinator**

**Shinji le Britannia, 1st Prince**

**Kaguya la Britannia, Japanese Representative and U.F.N. Chairwoman**

**Liling la Britannia, 2nd Princess**

**Mingyu la Britannia, 3rd Princess**

**Tianzi (Jiang Lihua) li Britannia, Chinese Federation Empress and Foreign Minister**

**Seijin (Zenkei) li Britannia, 2nd Prince**

**Milly su Britannia, Ashford Heiress and Ministry of Information Spokesperson**

**Joseph (Louis Ashford) su Britannia, 3rd Prince**

**Kallen u Britannia, Emperor's Knight**

**Naota u Britannia, 4th Prince**

**Nunnally vi Britannia, C.U.J. Viceroy**

**Suzaku Kururugi, Viceroy's Knight and Nemo Squad Leader**

**Rolo Lamperouge, Knight of Zero**

**Anya Alstriem, Knight of C**


End file.
